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.”