Felled Briens back in a flash
Long used to capturing the news at race meets, Jean-Charles Briens was propelled centre stage on Wednesday when Wishfull Thinking propelled himself and jockey Richard Johnson into the railings during the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The repercussions were significant.
Though the fence was dolled off for the second circuit, it caught Andrew Lynch and Barry Geraghty, the pilots on board Sizing Europe and Finian's Rainbow respectively, by surprise second time round and they only just swerved round in time.
By then, Johnson and Briens were being attended by the on-course medical staff and the alacrity with which it all happened is evident by one photograph which shows the Frenchman still snapping away a split second before he got caught in the turmoil.
“Of course it was a shock but I don't have any time to see anything. It was very quick. I was just very unlucky because, I don't know why, but I moved to the fence just behind the others there just before the race. I can't explain why. I was just unlucky.”
Though shocked and sore, Briens was back clicking away long before the day's end and continued on as before for the rest of the week. A Gallic case of the old British stiff upper lip, if you will forgive the pun.
“I am also lucky,” he said. “I am well. I don't suffer. I am perfect and well. I don't know how many stitches, maybe between five and seven and some more inside (the mouth) and a broken nose but I don't suffer. Hard shoulder too but that is all.”
The gash will take some time to heal and may well leave him with a permanent reminder of this trip to Cheltenham but it hasn't left any psychological marks judging by his indifference to a pain that is being kept at bay by just a few basic painkillers.
“That is my first accident in 25 years covering racing. Of course, you are in the front line so you are more at risk than everybody else who stay in the grandstand. I know that and I have never said I am sure to never have a problem.”
Briens has never had any illusions as to the realities in racing.
Life in the region of Anjou was dominated by the sport. His father Charles was an amateur jockey who used to depart long before his son had risen and returned long after the youngster had been tucked into bed again for the night.
Work as a racing photographer takes him all over the world many times over. Next stop is Dubai, after that Aintree and there is a stint in Hong Kong to tick off the list before he gets to go home again for a spell.
Not that home means rest.
He is also a breeder and an owner and his pride and joy so far has been a stallion called Kandidate who, like himself, was something of a globetrotter in his heyday and whom he bought from Clive Brittain after it was retired.
The dream is to produce a winner like the thousands he has caught in full flight this past two decades but he will be doing well if any match the headlines he has, unwittingly, made across the world this week.
“With the media and the world in 2012, everybody knows about it,” he said of his accident. “I have received many texts from many people in the world, all over the world. I just saw the video and I was … impressive. Yes, impressive.”
And with that, he let out a chuckle and returned to the track to pursue what is a passion rather than a job.
