Jockey Tyler Conner update after 'extremely scary' fall led to racing being abandoned
Jockey Tyler Conner is working to regain his movement in hospital after he suffered a serious fall on the racecourse. The incident happened at Colonial Downs on Thursday and led to the abandonment of the meeting.
Medics rushed to help 31-year-old Conner after his horse Stanza clipped the heels of first-place finisher Montador. Conner was airlifted to the VCU Trauma Center in Richmond for further assessment and scans confirmed the nature of his injuries.
His wife Lucy thanked wellwishers for sending messages during the challenging time.
She wrote on X: "Thank you to everyone that has reached out. One thing is for sure , @tyler_conner519 is very much loved. Right now he has a Jefferson fracture of C1, and a central cord injury. The doctor is optimistic that the swelling around his spinal cord will come down."
She later added: "@tyler_conner519 is trying his ass off to get his movement back . He did some walking with assistance today and is getting the use of both arms back slowly. Like everything else he does he is all-in and trying so incredibly hard."
Stanza, a three-year-old gelding trained by Elizabeth Merryman, was reported to be unscathed in the stable area after the Maiden Special Weight contest over five-and-a-half furlongs.
In-race comments said Montador had veered towards the outer entering the final furlong with Francisco Arrieta riding, which led to the fall.
The horse was disqualified and placed last, with 9-5 favourite Cheval De Guerre promoted by the officials.
Bosses at the racecourse in Virginia chose to call off the remainder of the card and they said in a statement: "In support of the jockey colony at Colonial Downs, we will be canceling the remainder of the race card today. Our thoughts are with Conner and his team."
Conner's agent Paula Bacon told BloodHorse that Conner had "regained his feeling everywhere" and was "in very good spirits" when she spoke to him.
FanDuel TV presenter Gabby Gaudet gave their viewers the latest update: "He was unseated and taken to the local hospital. What turned from an extremely scary incident, it seems there is some positive news now."
A GoFundMe page set up by Hilary Pridham has raised more than $40,825 USD to assist the rider during his rehabilitation.
"Please let's all rally round to support him during this time, and hope he is able to get back to doing what he loves," she said.
Conner has been licensed since 2014 and he celebrated his 1,000th career victory three years ago.
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