Putting things in perspective

WHEN I was asked this week to write about the highs and lows of 2011 my immediate reaction was to focus on the new whip rules brought in by the BHA across the water.

Initially, I felt that was the real low point of the year, but then began to reflect a little and soon decided, in the greater scheme of things, it wasn’t that important after all.

No, there was only one real low point in racing and that was the death of young Jack Tyner. Here was a highly promising amateur rider, rapidly on the up, who lost his life so tragically following a fall at a point-to-point at Dungarvan.