Peter Toole

Really sorry to hear. There were a few nasty falls at Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday with 3 riders taken to hospital including Robbie Power's sister, Elizabeth.

On a positive note, Richard Hawkins' father, Andrew, posted on another forum that his son has made good progress over the last 48 hours and is now able to sit in a chair.
 
Thoughts required for Irish P2P rider Matt McKenzie-Smith who's in a critical but stable condition in an induced coma following a fall at Oldcastle P2P on Saturday.
 
It's presumably the ground which is causing these more severe head traumas to the jockeys (snapped arms or legs being more or less the norm for those over jumps), so it perhaps ought to be a question of looking at rider welfare as much as horse welfare. No doubt people will continue to risk their lives for whatever they love doing, but should NH be abandoned when it's so firm that it's likely to cause serious injuries? Meetings are abandoned for sleet, snow, puddles, lightning, fog - so why not at the opposite end of the weather spectrum?
 
Terribly sad to read this. I suppose I tend to think that jockeys will bounce back from whatever health issue is thrown at them [look at Ruby this year and McCoy when he hurt his back]. I understand that firm ground is an issue, but, when it comes to head injuries I believe that dehydration can cause major problems? Therefore, if a jockey has a serious knock on the head and has been wasting to do a certain weight it can cause more problems. I'm talking about head injuries in general, not neccessarily in the case of Peter Tooles injury. All we can do is keep him in our thoughts and continue to support the Injured Jockeys Fund.
 
The boys still sound in a poorly way to me, not able to move all limbs at present, it seems. I'm just hoping that's because their brains are concentrating on mending themselves, and letting the bodily functions rest awhile, so energy is not used unnecessarily. How distressing for the families and friends, however gung-ho about racing or riding they might be, to see young lads so stricken.
 
Better news tonight on the RP online: Peter Toole has recovered enough to be sent to the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin to continue his recovery. He was sharp enough to be able to 'thumbs up' staff at the Walton Centre where he'd been treated. His parents sound lovely - they fulsomely thanked the staff there for their excellent level of care and also Aintree R/c, which accommodated them during their stay. The whole family has been supported by the IJF - so keep buying those calendars and diaries, folks, because the funds are always needed.
 
From Barry Geraghty

Myself, Paul Carberry Robert Power and Ruby Walsh just visited Peter Toole. He looks really well, he was just back from physio and was sitting up in his chair. He was watching Punchestown last week and is making good progress.
Click to expand...
 
WOW! That is fantastic. Sitting up and having physio - doesn't say anything about him talking yet, though, but hopefully so. Meanwhile the Hawkins lad is able to 'talk briefly' with his parents - at least the two lads are both alive and both do seem to be on the way to recovery. Cheers, Granger, lovely news.
 
Hannah Hawkins, Richard's little sister rode a second (finished very fast) at last Saturday's point to point at Holnicote. It was her first placing and she rode into the winners enclosure to huge cheers whilst on her mobile to her brother in hospital. A really lovely moment.
 
So PtP riders aren't disallowed the use of their mobiles when not in the designated area? Shame, shame!

Very glad to know he's compos mentis enough to take calls, j/j.
 
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