Promising young Irish jockey 'forced to retire' aged just 23
Twenty-three-year-old Irish jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire five months on from suffering a serious head injury during a race last January.
Harney was rushed to hospital after a fall at Fakenham racecourse on Sunday, January 19. He was riding Micronormous in the Sky Bet Queen Boudicca Series Final Mares' Handicap Chase when the horse slipped on a bend, resulting in a heavy fall for Harney.
The next day, trainer David Pipe said that Harney was "battered and bruised" but that "jockeys are made of strong stuff." But Pipe has now confirmed that Harney has been forced to leave horseracing behind for good, after his latest medical scans meant that doctors couldn't give him the green light for returning his licence.
Taking to social media, Pipe said: "Wishing conditional jockey Gearoid Harney the very best for the future as he unfortunately will not be returning to the saddle following his fall in January on medical advice. He rode 10 winners for me, the highlight being Kingston Queen's Listed Bumper success."
Speaking to The Racing Post, Pipe added that "there will always be a place at [Pipe's training centre] Pond House" for Harney if the Cork man wants to move into training.
Before his fall, Harney had ridden 21 winners since moving to the UK from Ireland in 2021, having ridden in point-to-points in this country.
At the time of the accident in January, stewards explained: "Gearoid Harney, the rider of Micronormous, had fallen on the bend entering the back straight on the second circuit. After viewing a recording of the incident, it was found that there was possible interference resulting in Micronormous falling. Harney was unable to be interviewed following the incident, and therefore the enquiry was adjourned till a later date."
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