April 2nd 2026
Clifford Lee’s 2025 had become a season in which he and Karl Burke could change the temperature of a race simply by turning up — a duo bookmakers feared because they so regularly delivered. A first Group 1 on Venetian Sun in the Prix Morny, 94 winners already on the board, his last four rides all victories — including a Group 2 in France on Convergent — and his first century of winners looking less a milestone and more a formality.
Then came the silence.
While serving a brief ban and away on a family trip to Scotland, a cross‑country motorbike travelling at barely 10 km/h flicked his world off its axis. A broken C1 vertebra, internal bleeding and two days in a coma left one of Britain’s rising riders facing a very different kind of battle. For a young, fit jockey in full cry, it was a cruel and bewildering halt.
Tomorrow (Good Friday) he returns to the saddle in the 3.35 aboard Marshman at Newcastle’s Good Friday meeting, and we catch up with him to talk about the fall, the fight back, and the road to rediscovering the rhythm that once looked unstoppable.
“Looking forward to getting back in the saddle on Friday and putting it all behind you?”
“Yes, 100%. It’s been a long five and a half months — the longest I’ve ever been out of the saddle — but I’ve been riding out and once I got my irons up it was like second nature. Marshman is a lovely horse with a great chance and I can’t wait to get back on now”.
“With an injury that serious, do you have much recollection of what happened?”
“I went from thinking I wasn’t just going to surpass my first century of winners, but how far past it I’d get… and then on the 25th of October I was going up a cross‑country mountain. There was a ditch at the top, the bike just fell from underneath me and I banged my head off the side. I remember taking my helmet off and that’s when I knew my neck was broken.
A day or so after, I had a bleed on the neck and was rushed into surgery for a tracheostomy. I couldn’t breathe. I’d really damaged the nerve at the back of my head — it stopped me from talking, eating and drinking for a good month.
They sent me for a scan and said I was going to sleep for a couple of hours. It was two days later when I woke up from a coma. It’s hard to explain — like an out‑of‑body experience. I remember coming out of the coma; it was like I couldn’t see but I was waking up. I pulled the pipe out of my throat but I didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t know why I pulled it out — that was the only way I could breathe — and for some reason I wouldn’t let them put it back in. Obviously it wasn’t intentional; I didn’t want to hurt myself. I just didn’t really know what was going on”.
“Was there any concern about long‑term damage?”
“I’ve been very, very lucky. From what I’ve been told, the first 72 hours were critical. No one initially knew what would happen long term — whether I’d even be able to eat properly again”.
“Athletes aren’t always good patients — how did you cope with suddenly being so restricted?”
“I did and I didn’t. As time went on and I was feeling better, I wanted to do more things. But at the same time you have to think of the reality — I was lucky to survive. It was very frustrating, but I didn’t want to come back too quick and have setbacks. I listened to the support I was getting and took it all in.
I’m the type of person who wants everything done there and then — I’ve always had that mentality of knuckling down and getting where I want to be. I’ve always been physically and mentally strong, so having to give my body time to recover was different for me. But I’m fully fixed now. I’ve had second opinions — my neck and bones have healed very well”.
“George Baker said jockeys saying “thanks to the IJF” barely scratches the surface. Now you’ve lived it, does that ring true? How important has Jack Berry House been?”
“I wouldn’t be back in the saddle today if it wasn’t for Jack Berry House — simple as that. To get down that low and be that weak — I was 8st 2lb — and now to feel stronger than I did before is testament to them.
At first it was all conditioning work because I’d lost so much weight. The facilities they have — I used the ice bath, did reformer Pilates, and the hydro pool so I could get back running. The water takes the pressure off your neck so when you hit the floor it’s not jarring.
You never plan to be injured, so you have no plan once you’re in that position. Those are the cards you’re dealt, and they take everything into consideration and put together your whole rehab process. I don’t think I know the words to describe the facilities and people at Jack Berry House”.
“Did you follow racing the whole time?”
“Not the three and a half weeks I was in hospital. I didn’t touch my phone until the last week — I was too out of it. When I finally looked, the messages and missed calls were unbelievable. I can’t thank people enough. Even the messages saying they’re looking forward to me getting back on Friday — it really does mean a lot.
Once I got home I started watching racing. I watched all of Dubai. It was gutting to miss Royal Champion winning in Bahrain, but James Doyle and Oisin giving me a shout‑out was lovely”.
“Last year you rode 22 stakes winners. Looking ahead, with so many having Group 1 entries, it’s an exciting time of year?”
“Yes, exactly. I just can’t wait to get back in the swing of things. I’ve sat on a few two‑year‑olds recently and I think we’re going to pick up from where we left off last year — so many lovely horses.
I can’t thank Karl enough for his ongoing support over the last eleven years. He visited me in hospital in Edinburgh and I can’t thank him enough. Karl and the whole team at home are the full package. He has a very good eye for a horse, he knows what he’s got, he places them well, I know how he wants them ridden, and I think we just click.
To give further insight into Clifford’s recovery, Jack Berry House’s Strength and Conditioning Coach, Danny Hague, explained:
Clifford’s quick return to the saddle is a testament to his mental strength, especially given the seriousness of the injury. His stoic mindset was clear from day one — he arrived at Jack Berry House convinced he’d be back on a horse soon. We thought we might need to manage his expectations, but he’s flown through his rehab. Everything has been meticulously planned, and his progression has been smooth throughout. We’re fortunate to have diagnostic assessment tools that allow us to measure neck strength to ensure it’s safe to load, which helps us track his progress. It’s great to see his hard work pay off, and we’ll all be watching and supporting him at Newcastle”.
Georgia Cox writing for the Injured Jockeys Fund