RACING:IRELAND'S RACING industry is in mourning after the tragic death of 19-year-old amateur jockey Jack Tyner.
The only son of Co Cork trainer Robert Tyner had been in an induced coma in hospital since being left unconscious after a fall at a point-to-point meeting near Dungarvan last Tuesday.
He died in the early hours of yesterday morning at Cork University Hospital.
Tyner’s death is the first on a racecourse or a point-to-point in Ireland since the 20-year-old Kildare rider Dary Cullen was killed at Wexford in April of 2006.
“Jack’s death is a tragedy for his family and for everyone associated with racing,” Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan said yesterday.
“He had the world at his feet and rightly would have aspirations to reach the top.
“It is only when something like this happens that it brings home the risks that all riders take on a daily basis. Our deepest sympathies go to his parents, Robert and Mary, and all his family,” Egan added.
Jack Tyner’s family is one of the best known in point-to-point racing in the south of Ireland and the teenager followed in that tradition, winning on his first racecourse ride on Square Sphere at Limerick in November 2008.
He rode his second on Whatwillwecallher in a bumper at Limerick last month.
He also rode four point-to-point winners, including in the race before his fatal accident at Dungarvan.
“He was a lovely, quiet, unassuming fella and this is a complete tragedy,” top amateur Robbie McNamara said.
“Jack was a very good rider, he was riding out for Enda Bolger and he had so much ahead of him. Something like this puts everything into perspective,” he added.
Denis Egan said safety standards are continually improving at point-to-points in Ireland.
“There are minimum requirements that must be met with regard to the provision of ambulances and doctors before a point-to-point meeting can go ahead,” he said.
“There must be a minimum of two fully-equipped ambulances present and a long-base four-wheel drive vehicle which is equipped to take a stretcher. In addition, there has to be two doctors present,” he added.
In 2003 there were two fatalities on Irish racecourses. Kieran Kelly was killed in a fall at Kilbeggan, while Seán Cleary was fatally injured in a flat race at Galway.
