If a motorist breaks down on a motorway, they know they can rely on the AA or RAC for help.
When a jockey, amateur or professional, has a fall on the racecourse, the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) is automatically there to support them through its Injury Notification Process.
The IJF also has protocols in place to help jockeys return to riding as soon as possible should they suffer a concussion.
An IJF team of ten, which includes eight Welfare Liaison Officers and two Centre Managers, operate a duty rota to react whenever there is a fall at the racecourse or in a point-to-point. In the event of a serious injury, the BHA’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jerry Hill, or the Clerk of the Course will contact IJF Chief Executive Lisa Hancock directly.
From there, the IJF enacts a Crisis Response, which includes supporting the jockey’s family and managing media enquiries. In less serious incidents, the IJF duty officer is contacted and given details of the jockey’s injuries, next of kin, and the hospital where they are being treated.
As well as helping the family, the IJF will visit a jockey if they are in hospital for more than one night and initiate any treatment necessary with the IJF team.
Mark Oxley, Clinical Operations Manager for the IJF, explains:
“The IJF gets immediate notification if a jockey has a fall. We will get in touch with the family and get them to the hospital. If they need to stay over, we will arrange a hotel. Once a jockey leaves hospital, we book them in for treatment and rehabilitation as soon as possible. We deal with all the needs of a jockey and his family after an incident. That might be something as simple as informing the family that a jockey is alright, or making sure their kit or their car is returned to them if it was left at the racecourse.”
The Injury Notification is enacted within minutes. Every time a jockey falls, the IJF is called whether the incident is major or minor. The consequences of that fall, however, can last for months.
If a jockey suffers a concussion, whether on the racecourse, at a stable, or on the gallops, they must pass an assessment by a BHA-appointed neurologist before they are allowed to return to riding.
The IJF Concussion Management Protocol ensures riders are able to return in the safest and shortest possible timeframe. Oxley continues:
*“Anyone who falls is initially assessed by a doctor on the racecourse. They will make a diagnosis whether a jockey has concussion or not. If they do, they are referred to us. For a professional jockey it is important that they are able to return to ride in as short a time as possible.
“To make that happen, we see them within 72 hours for an initial assessment with one of our physiotherapists. We will continue to treat and assess them using a series of evidence-based tools to monitor their progress.
“We also have access to Dr Anna-Louise Mackinnon, a specialist in sport and exercise medicine, and a consultant neurologist. We hold a multi-disciplinary team meeting specifically for concussion every month, which includes the neurologist for any specialist interventions.”*
The IJF team has access to specialist gym equipment and uses tests such as Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), which detects signs and symptoms of concussion by assessing balance, vision and movement.
The IJF team will only refer a jockey to the BHA neurologist once they are confident the rider has fully recovered.
Mark adds:
“The in-depth assessments make sure a jockey is safe to return to riding. I do not think anyone other than the IJF could deliver this, because it requires a multi-disciplinary team of different professionals along with specialised equipment and knowledge. We only suggest jockeys go for that review once we feel they have recovered.”
Between April 2024 and March 2025 there were 42 incidents of concussion. Thirty-five of those happened on the racecourse, with 15 in hurdle races and 19 in steeplechases. There were a further eight concussion incidents in point-to-points.