Andrew Thornton admits it took an invitation to an Injured Jockeys Fund Trustees meeting in his riding days while he himself was sidelined after a fall to open his eyes to the wide-ranging work of the charity.
Invited along by journalist and friend Jonathan Powell, it was a moment that had a lasting impact on the Cheltenham Gold Cup and King George VI Chase winning jockey, particularly impressing on him that superficial impressions about a colleague’s life can be misleading even if you believe you know them well.
From that point, Thornton was always going to become involved in the IJF.
He recently stood down after serving his maximum nine-year term as a Trustee, but he will remain closely involved, particularly when recruiting riders to take part in the Leger Legends race at Doncaster in September.
Recalling the first encounter with the charity, Thornton said: ‘‘Jonathan asked me if I fancied going when I was injured. It was the 1990s and I was 25 or 26-years-old.
‘‘I’d heard about the injured Jockeys Fund but until you need their services you probably don’t know what they really do. It wasn’t as big then. There was no Oaksey House, Peter O’Sullevan House or Jack Berry House.
‘‘I leant an awful lot at that meeting about jockeys who were receiving help from the IJF.
‘‘I was blown away because you don’t necessarily know what is going on away from the track. You ride against people, but you might not know what is going on in the background.’
As he later became more seriously involved, Thornton sat on IJF Board meetings when difficult decisions must be made about what support can be offered in often traumatic cases, sometimes with people you know personally.
It can be emotional and draining.
Thornton said: There are so many tough decisions to make for the people who sit on those case meetings. It is very difficult, and it takes a lot out of them.
‘‘There are 80,000 races a year and people are going to get life-changing injuries. They are the high-profile cases, but you also have people who may only have had half a dozen rides. There are many people like that who you don’t hear about.’
Decisions must be compassionate but also made with a degree of objectivity which can disappoint claimants.
Thornton added: People’s expectations of the charity can be very high but with all the cases due diligence must be done. You must work out how in need of help people are and some do feel aggrieved that the IJF aren’t helping them enough.
‘‘It can be hard to decide whether you are going to help someone with an electricity bill or with their oil, gas, rent or telephone.
‘‘I am not going to gloss over that. It is not all fluffy. The IJF can’t afford to help everybody. The charity does well but you can’t assume money is going to be given further down the line.
‘‘It must be safeguarded. At the moment it costs around £5million a year to run Oaksey House, Peter O’Sullevan House and Jack Berry House and they are only going to get hungrier for cash the older they get. Plus, we have expanded with the hubs in Taunton and Hawick.
‘‘But while everything doesn’t run smoothly all the time, I would like to think most times it does.’
Being a former jockey Thornton feels he could bring an insight into the challenges of the Weighing Room in his Trustee role.
‘‘I don’t mind admitting I made a couple of bad decisions regarding investments when I was riding and few of the senior figures, I rode with also got taken advantage of,’ Thornton said.
‘‘That is how easily people can fall on hard times. After what happened to me, I have made sure that when I am around the Weighing Room, I emphasis to riders to be careful who they trust.
‘‘There are people out there who will take advantage of sports people, not just jockeys, and you don’t want to be in a situation where you may need the IJF’s help.’
Thornton has also witnessed the massive strides in physical and mental support.
He added: Bear in mind, before the IJF centres were opened we relied on (physiotherapist) Rabbit Slattery and her mother Mary Bromiley. You would see them independently.
‘‘Oaksey House was the first to be built and, initially, people were maybe a little reluctant to go because they didn’t want it to be seen that they were injured! But jockeys eventually realised there were there to help, and they have evolved so much.
‘‘So many things have been added – fitness, strength and conditioning and mental health support – and the knowledge and experience that the teams now have when dealing equestrian-related injuries is second to none.
‘‘But it is not just treating injuries or handing out money to people who need it.
‘‘The centres have become hubs for ex-jockeys to go and meet and maybe have a fitness or Pilates session, possibly with their partners or it could be their widows who go.
‘‘That is where the Injured Jockeys Fund is very much like a family. It is all about making sure people don’t get lost and is part of prevention as well, to stop them needing help further down the line.’
Thornton is proud that he was instrumental in getting Consultant Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon Michael Foy – ‘‘the man who literally put me back together during my career’’ – involved with the Injured Jockeys Fund.
His medical expertise has proved invaluable when deciding the most appropriate treatments cost-effectively.
Thornton is also confident the newer blood among the Trustees, including fellow ex-jockeys George Baker, Polly Gundry and Tom Scudamore, will bring renewed energy to the charity.
‘‘I am still going to be around,’ Thornton insisted. ‘‘I took a lot out of the game and want to put something back.’
He has emphatically done that.