IRISH JOCKEY BRIAN Toomey is set to make a remarkable return to competitive horse racing this July, just two years on from suffering severe head injuries when his horse fell at Perth.
Toomey, 26, died for six seconds and spent a fortnight in an induced coma following a fall in a handicap hurdle in July 2013. Part of his skull was removed to reduce swelling on his brain and he spent 157 nights in hospital, but he was granted a new jockey’s license earlier this year and doctors say he will not be at any greater risk than any other jockey.
“Doctors told me not many people come out of that,” he told BBC Sport. “At the hurdle where I fell, apparently I was dead for six seconds. The paramedics resuscitated me. Then I was rushed to the hospital with 3 per cent chance of survival.”
Toomey wasn’t even allowed into a racehorse yard during his first year of recovery. Instead, he built up his strength by using a simulator that mimicked the movement needed to ride in a race. Now, he is determined to resume his career in the saddle.
“I’ve seen three of the top neurosurgeons in England. I’ve had loads of scans, I’ve had eyesight tests, I’ve had hearing tests, I’ve had loads of balance tests, fitness tests. I’ve had so many tests to do and obviously I wouldn’t have been allowed back if I wasn’t 100%.
“Obviously a lot of people would have been trying to put me off getting back being a jockey, but it’s always been my goal, my passion. I probably annoyed people sometimes because I’m quite competitive. I can’t wait to get back.”
He then had to undergo a full medical assessment by the British Horseracing Authority chief medical adviser Dr Jerry Hill, who eventually passed him medically fit to return to racing.
“I’ve pretty much achieved the impossible just to get here,” Toomey said. ”Just in surviving and overcoming all that I have been through I feel I have won the biggest and most important race of my life, and anything else is a bonus.
“People who inspire me like AP McCoy, I’ve been talking to him loads. He said he really admires me and said I’ve got nothing to prove. What I’ve overcome already is absolutely incredible and I really appreciate his kindness and his support.”
Trainer Phil Kirby has said that Kings Grey, a winner over fences at Aintree on his latest start, has been earmarked for Toomey’s return to action and he will do all he can to ensure the jockey comes back with a winner.
“We’re not sure where we’re going yet, nothing is decided and it’s still a bit up in the air,” Kirby said. “But Brian will ride him when we find the right race. The horse is ready to go, it’s just a matter of finding the right race in the next fortnight or three weeks.”
Toomey is not the only member of his family to suffer serious injuries from racing. His cousins JT McNamara and Robbie McNamara have suffered spinal injuries in recent years after falls. Toomey acknowledges that he is extremely lucky and hopes the he can be an inspiration for others.
“I hope what I’ve been through can serve as an inspiration for others who injure themselves and are told that they might never return to doing what they love. Work hard and never give up and you just never know what could happen.
“It’s an amazing feeling, it’s a very hard feeling to describe, it’s a passion, it’s an addiction. So I can’t wait to get back.”
Cork are so bad, Lord
Clare to win the all ireland
Is it tidy towns you are on about.
Wolf , donal og cusack was not wrong when he showed the Graf on the Sunday game last year of where cork hurling is at the moment , that was atrocious from a county that has been so resoundingly competitive for years , as we always said in tipp a good year was the hay saved and cork bet , not the case anymore unfortunately from a tipp this sad to see as it is not good for the sport in general
7 points down with 10 mins to go and they’re STILL using a sweeper what are the management thinking!?
Terrible decision to use a sweeper for all the game
The tactic seems to have been to concentrate on keeping the Tipp margin of victory as low as possible..
That way the Cork public might not turn against the County Board.
It’s all about self preservation.
As a Galway man I’m worried how that cork team beat us in the relegation decider.
Not looking good when it looks like Kerry can outplay Cork in both codes.
That was the worst Cork team, led by the worst Cork management in living memory. Not help by having the worst County Board in Ireland.
It’s grand. Frank Murphy et al will have their legacy with the new stadium and that’s what really matters.
Absolutely sickening stuff….
Probably call it ‘Murphy Park!
Cork were terrible, Couldn’t even pass the ball to each other and hit numerous aimless balls down the park.Tipp won the majority of 50/50s and dominated all the scuffles on the park. There’s a long road ahead for Cork hurling as this group of players are not be up to the standard required.
Worst cork performance in my living memory nit one player would get on the the team of 10 years ago
How did we get so bad?
When you depend on decent guys from junior and intermediate clubs your in big trouble the senior clubs in Cork are of such poor standard it’s amazing we can even limit Tipp to 9 points. The upside is we will have a New state of the art stadium for other Munster counties to play in come championship time and we will have plenty stewards . In serious grief at seeing this latest capitulation and no sign of any light for the road ahead
Ye are on a par with Wexford I’m afraid.
On way down in train, Cork have become the “kerry” of Munster hurling
From a Tipp fan – it was a poor match overall. Both teams will have not learned much from today. Limerick will be a different story! !
When you set up your side for damage limitation that is all you will achieve, the sweeper system has hurling destroyed.The 2013 championship was one of the best in living memory but it seems like a lifetime ago now! I can only hope that Limerick will go 15 on 15 in the semi-final and play their natural gung ho shit or bust style because if they don’t another woeful game will drift by.
The sweeper can still be played in a positive and entertaining way but it requires far more tactically than simply pulling a man back. When you play a sweeper you also play against a sweeper, teams need to execute both defensive and offensive sides of the formation. Look at Clare for example, defensively they press hard when not in possession and crowd midfield forcing teams to play long balls up to where they have an extra man who now has more time to get into position to cover. Then in attack they utilise rapid short passing to work the ball past midfield so they can play long forward passes that bypass the sweeper. It can be done well and still be entertaining but the likes of Cork and Limerick are now trying it without any idea of how to play the system and producing dour matches
Is Frank there for life? Is it like being pope?
Frank does what he wants and NO ONE dares question him.
Patrick Horgan with yet another game of no scores from play!
Shocking.. what were they thinking with the sweeper system ??? A draw ???? Short summer ahead..
Cork should enter the Christy ring
Hello Cork, hello Cork, where are ye.?????
Cork were abysmal today it is sad to see how far they have gone back the game needs a competitive cork side
These players have worked as hard as previous teams and the management have worked as hard as previous managers.We are at the low end of the cycle.The wheel will turn in time but let’s not be personally offensive to players or managers and selectors
Your right… I don’t blame the players, management or selectors…
I blame the county board and more importantly the man who has been running it for over 40 years…
William my comment may have came across wrong. I didn’t mean to have a go at Egan or anyone in particular. I just found d whole game v frustrating. Cork are better than that.
I see the blaming of poor auld frank has started as usual…only one thing for it then I suppose another strike
Why on earth would cork change their tactics to one they have never used and try it in their championship opener against Tipp of all teams aswell
Roll on kilkenny to sort them out
It’s all well and good using a sweeper if they know what they doin. Egan was standing there with not a clue what he was supposed to b at. He may as well been up in d stand.
Hope they don’t become as bad as the Kilkenny footballers
On the ball William…We are in a transition with plenty of challenges ahead. This is the right back room crew to get things turned around.
I love your optimism
I took the m
Jesus, are there any hurlers left in Cork?
Can’t believe how much cork hurling has declined this year. Yesterday showed that they’ve no leadership on the pitch and no plans other than using a sweeping system no matter what. JBM was restricted during his time in charge by the power that be (frank murphy) Also the last players strike certainly accomplished nothing but contribute to the demise of cork hurling. It’s a shame, there’s some great young hurlers all over cork county.