Jockey dies in race fall

A teenage jockey died after he was dragged by his horse for almost 1km during a race in Southland yesterday.

Sam McRae, 16, of Southland, suffered severe chest and head injuries after his foot became entangled in the horse's riding iron at the Riverton race course.

It was McRae's first race on his home track - and the incident was witnessed by his father Gareth and grandmother at the course, and by his mother Robyn on television.

"The horse just kept on galloping with him (McRae) being dragged behind like a rag doll," said Riverton club stipendiary steward Stewart Ching. "There was a feeling of helplessness - you couldn't do anything.

"It was the most awful thing you can view on a video. It was quite horrific. You start to see this person being dragged along. You think it's going to give at anytime now, but nothing gave. His foot was just jammed solid in that iron because it was twisted around."

Riverton club manager Doug Stuart said: "It was bloody awful, it absolutely numbed the crowd."

The accident happened in the second race. McRae's mount Queen's Evidence was behind the leading bunch with about 1100m to run when the horse clipped the heel of a runner ahead and stumbled. McRae was thrown from the saddle. He was dragged for about 900m before the horse stopped. Ching said another rider, Kalai Selvan, attempted to bring Queen's Evidence under control but could not get close enough.

McRae was taken to hospital in Invercargill with severe head and chest injuries. He died a few hours later. McRae, an apprentice, had only been riding for a couple of months and had won two races.

The incident was a freak accident, and appeared to be free of interference, Ching said.

"Everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong.

"It was one of those things that an inch another way and he wouldn't have touched it. The horse has only just stumbled slightly, but it's enough to shoot him (McRae) forward, over the side and down."

Doug Stuart said McRae had walked the track with his father the night before the race because he was so excited about his first race at Riverton.

Christchurch-based jockey Brian Hibberd was last night shocked by the news.

"Why did such a lovely, likeable kid like Sam McRae get struck down so early in life when he had so much to offer? Nobody in this industry had a bad word to say about Sam. He was one of the most well-mannered young jockeys I have ever met."

It is the first time a jockey has died in New Zealand from injuries suffered in a race fall for nearly three years.

The previous death was that of Ray Hewinson, who was involved in a fall at Ashburton in 2002.

- Herald on Sunday