Against the background of the excellent news that Gunter Wrogemann could be riding as soon as the end of April, the flipside of the coin is illustrated by the announcement earlier this week that Australian jockey Tye Angland has been left a quadriplegic after a fall in Hong Kong last year.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Angland was speared head first into the turf soon after the start of a race at Sha Tin on November 25. In a statement on Tuesday, AJA chairman Des O’Keeffe said the spinal cord injury Angland sustained could not be repaired and as a result, he is a quadriplegic.
Tye Angland with trainer Darren Beadman (Pic – Twitter)
“Tye has some movement in his arms but is unable to walk,’’ O’Keeffe said in a statement.
“Tye remains at the Royal Rehabilitation Centre in Sydney as he continues his recovery and rehabilitation.
“Together, the family are currently working with a range of stakeholders in terms of co-ordinating and financing Tye’s on-going care and the family’s long-term needs.
“His wife Erin and the couple’s three children Alexis, Addison and Rylan continue to be amazed by the support they have received and wish to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to them.’’
Tye Angland and David Payne after Ace High’s win in the 2017 Victoria Derby. Picture: Getty Images
Trainer David Payne echoed what the racing industry was feeling when hearing the news.
“It’s devastating,” Payne said. “He’s such a young man with children. It leaves a big hole. Not just as a rider but as someone who hangs around us.”
Payne and Angland combined to win two Group 1s with Ace High in 2017 and the Rosehill trainer has fond memories of their time together at the track.
“I remember using him to ride my horses when he was just a young boy,” Payne said.
“We’ve won a few Group 1s together and he was always a pleasure to work with. He was always very obliging and he’s a lovely bloke. You wouldn’t meet a nicer person than Tye.
“I just hope things can turn around and he can improve. Hopefully they can help him with advancements in medicine.”
Payne said the news further highlights just how dangerous the life of a jockey is.
“I was a jockey,” he said. “I had 10 falls and in eight of them I woke up in hospital.”
