Promising young jockey had ‘little chance of recovery’

A PROMISING young jockey sustained one of the most devastating types of brain injury in a heavy fall at a point-to-point race, an inquest heard yesterday.

Cork City Coroner’s Court was told that, no matter what doctors did, Jack Tyner, aged 19, from Innishannon, Co Cork, stood little chance of recovery from the injury he sustained on February 1.

City coroner Dr Myra Cullinane recorded a verdict of accidental death.

“This was a tragic event — to lose your only boy,” she told Jack’s parents, Mary, and well-known horse trainer, Robert.

“I know you are involved in the sport but it is heart-breaking when tragedy comes to your own family.”

The inquest heard how Jack grew up around horses and was an experienced amateur jockey.

Earlier that afternoon, he was elated after riding a winner at the point-to-point in Dungarvan.

He was riding Dusmagic, a mare trained by his father, for his second race of the day when tragedy struck. As the animal jumped the first of five fences on the three-mile circuit, she apparently over-jumped, got a nudge from another animal on landing, causing her to lose her balance.

Video footage filmed by course cameraman Brian Arnold showed Jack fall heavily and tumble.

Mr Tyner rushed to the scene and said Jack was unconscious, moaning and breathing heavily.

The on-course doctor treated Jack before he was removed to Cork University Hospital.

Initial scans led doctors to believe that Jack would be okay and would need to stay in hospital overnight for observation.

But a more detailed brain scan the next morning revealed the full extent of his head and brain injuries. His condition deteriorated and, despite medical and surgical intervention, he never regained consciousness. He died on February 7.

A postmortem revealed he had suffered a diffuse axonal injury to the brain, consistent with a fall from a horse. Dr Cullinane said there was little or no chance of recovery from that type of widespread brain injury.

The Turf Club and gardaí investigated the incident and were satisfied that the race had been organised properly, and to the highest safety standards.

Dungarvan point-to-point committee member John Kiely, who has been involved with the course since 1948, said safety was “the beginning and end” of everything they do.

“It’s a great sport but a risky sport,” he said.

Jockeys competed in the Jack Tyner Memorial open lightweight race at this year’s Kinsale point-to-point event.