As amateur jockeys may race only once a season, for the purpose of this study, injuries were defined as those recorded in writing by the medical officer. The injury definition used in this study is important as it is different from other injury epidemiology studies, where injuries are defined according to the time away from work or sport. The injury data were provided by The Jockey Club (for UK statistics) and the Irish Turf Club (for the Irish statistics), and is based on the medical evaluation of every injury sustained at certified meets. Keywords used in the searches included horse racing, sports injuries, jockeys, equestrian injuries, concussion and head injury, resulting in 37 hits that were relevant. The relevant literature was searched through Medline. 5 Before 2003, the severity of concussion was graded on the basis of loss of consciousness (LOC), with jockeys having transient LOC incurring a 2‐day suspension, and those with an LOC of 1 min being suspended for 6 and 20 days, respectively. This is in accordance with approved concussion management guidelines. The Jockey Club introduced a standardised concussion management programme in October 2003, which requires all jockeys to undergo baseline testing, the results of which are then compared with those after concussion. They have been required to wear body protectors since 1986, but there was considerable variety in construction before the adoption of the European Standard. Since 2001, all jockeys are required to wear a body protector to the European Standard EN 13158.2000. This standard became compulsory in Great Britain and Ireland in 1996. 2Īll jockeys are required to wear protective helmets to the European Standard EN 1384.1996, which must be securely fastened at all times.
The protocol regarding medical care of jockeys is the same for both amateur and professional jockeys, and has been previously outlined by Turner et al. The Jockey Club and The Irish Turf Club closely regulate racing in Great Britain and Ireland, respectively. The surface will not affect the severity of any injury experienced by the jockeys. It is prepared grass that is kept short either through mowing by the groundsmen or through the aid of grazing animals. The surfaces are essentially the same in all the countries on both point to point racing grounds and formal racetracks. They become fully professional in their 20s, and usually retire when they reach the age of 40. Professional jockeys usually start race riding between the ages of 16 and 18 years, and are known as “conditional” riders. Professional jump racing is similar in the sense that it too involves jumping over obstacles as part of the course, although unlike point to point racing the races occur at formal racetracks and the obstacles can be either hurdle or steeplechase fences which can also vary in height and type. The steeplechase fences are usually made of birch and must have a minimum height of 4 ft 4 in. Races vary in distance from 2.5 to 4 miles, with a minimum of 10 fences to be jumped, and most races involve racing over farmland rather than formal racetracks. In Great Britain, there are about 200 point to point fixtures annually (2660 fixtures between 19), but in 2001 an outbreak of foot and mouth disease curtailed the season and only 30 fixtures took place. Racing is restricted to weekends and public holidays, whereas in Ireland the season runs from October till the end of May. Racing takes place in Great Britain during a limited season from January to June, although this will change from 2006 to start in December.
In Ireland, point to point racing is under the jurisdiction of The Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee, which is overseen by The Turf Club. A number of rule changes have occurred since that time, with the most important change occurring in 1976 when female riders were allowed to ride on equal terms with male jockeys. The governing body of point to point racing changed hands a number of times during the 20th century, with the National Hunt Committee gaining control in the mid 1930s, before The Jockey Club took over in the late 1960s.
It was only in 1913 when the Master of Hounds Point‐to‐Point Association was established in Great Britain that a general set of rules was introduced. In the beginning, local huntsmen organised and ran their own races. The earliest recorded race occurred in Cork, Ireland, in 1752, and the first recorded official meet in Great Britain dates back to 1836. Point to point racing is steeple chasing for amateurs, and was originated by huntsmen who raced their hunters from one church steeple to another, hence the name “point to point steeple chasing”.