Officials probe death of jockey
An inquiry into the death of apprentice jockey Megan Taylor may not be completed until early next year.
The Racing Integrity Board’s stewards are investigating the incident that led to her horse falling at Ashburton Raceway on Thursday afternoon.
Her death is the second on a New Zealand racetrack this year and the seventh this century.
John Oatham, a member of the stipendiary stewards panel at the race meeting, confirmed an inquiry will be done but it’s unclear whether it will be completed before the new year.
While ‘‘very preliminary’’ interviews had taken place, he said due to the busy time of year, and in part the shock of what happened and ongoing grieving process, a timeline for completing the inquiry wasn’t in place.
‘‘It’s obviously devastating for everyone involved,’’ Oatham said.
Taylor, 26, was riding Red Orchid, a four-year-old chestnut mare, in race two when the accident occurred and led to three other riders falling. Red
Orchid appeared to be squeezed between other runners immediately before its fall.
After the race Show Us Plenty, ridden by Samantha Wynne, was euthanised due to having fractured the right humerus bone.
The stipendiary stewards’ report notes Taylor fell 350m from the finishing post, with O’Dua, ridden by Tina Comignaghi, and Show Us Plenty being brought down as a result, along with Billydude being ‘‘badly hampered’’ which led to jockey Diego Montes de Oca being dislodged.
The fallen riders were immediately attended to by ambulance personnel, and taken to hospital for further evaluation. Sam Wynne broke her collarbone, ribs and pelvis in the fall, friends said online.
The race meeting was abandoned after the incident.
WorkSafe has been notified and police have confirmed Taylor’s death would be referred to the coroner.
After the race Lance Robinson, the trainer of second-placed horse Archerfield, lodged a protest alleging interference near the 350m mark by first-placed horse Miss Pearl. After considering submissions the adjudicator upheld the protest and Miss Pearl was relegated to second place. Archerfield was declared the winner.
Jockeys at the Levin Racing Club meeting at Ō taki yesterday held a minute’s silence in tribute to Taylor.
Seven of the eight deaths on New Zealand race courses this century have occurred in the South Island.
In one instance, Ashlee Mundy, 26, died from injuries after falling from a horse after it clipped heels with another at Kurow in December 2012.
At a subsequent inquest, coroner David Crerar said no one should be blamed for her death, but the incident should be a learning experience for the racing industry.
Crerar said similar incidents showed that horse racing could be dangerous, but participants ‘‘accept some risk’’ and he made no recommendations.