Dangers of Being Jockey Everyone talks about the dangers open to horses in a Grand National, but rarely does anyone mention the men who ride them - the poor jockeys.
AOL Sports has requested an opinion from leading orthopedic surgeon, Simon Moyes, who has treated many jockeys in his career, the dangers will face top jockey.
Moyes, who owned a racehorse himself said: "Being a jockey is a high-risk occupation. There is an extraordinary amount of skill required, a combination of the position of the race while jockey, speed racer, the maneuvers over the race and have huge jumps jockey before a major trauma.
"The most common injuries that jockeys sustain (19%) are in the head and neck and lower leg (15%), foot and ankle (10%), lower back (10%) and arm and hand (10%).
"Steeple chase, especially the Grand National, in my opinion produce a higher rate than normal upper limb injuries such as fractures of the clavicle and the rest of the shoulder girdle.
"Jockeys in my experience have a threshold of extreme pain and rehabilitate and recover from such injuries much faster than the normal population. Personally, I wish all the jockeys and the big race at Aintree on Saturday.
Simon Moyes operates from Wellington Hospital in St John's Wood and its site can be found here Simon Moyes. The good news for Tony Dobbin, is that he will be fit to ride in National John Smith's Grand Saturday, after all.
AOL SPORTS, April 13, 2007
Posted on March 15, 2010.
