5 days ago
Irish jockey, 23, forced to retire after being plagued by concussions in the aftermath of January fall
IRISH conditional jockey Gearoid Harney has been forced to retire due to a severe head injury he suffered in a January fall at Fakenham.
The 23-year-old
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The Cork native's career in the saddle has come to a premature end
Credit: Alamy
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He rode for Somerset-based trainer David Pipe
Credit: PA
That misfortune came a mere two days after the biggest win of his fledgling career onboard Kingston Queen in the Listed Alan Swinbank mares' bumper at Market Rasen.
Harney has not yet spoken about his decision to retire but he rode primarily for David Pipe who spoke to
They said: "The scans showed there was still some damage there and it wasn't right for him to get his licence back. The decision was in their hands.
"He kept getting concussed when he fell and the Injured Jockeys Fund have been very supportive, so he'll have to have a think about what he'll do in the future."
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In total the UK-based rider racked up 21 winners for Pipe. His first win, however, was for Deborah Cole in December 2021.
In that instance he steered 50-1 rank outsider 50-1 shot Hauraki Gulf to first place in a Warwick contest.
Pipe offered up some words of encouragement as he vowed Harney can have a job at his yard if he chooses to continue working in the racing industry.
He outlined: "He wasn't with us for a long time but we had some success.
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"The highlight was probably on Kingston Queen and he was a good part of the team.
"It's a shame it's come to an abrupt end, but he goes out in one piece and there's plenty of people worse off.
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"There's a place for him at Pond House if he wants it. He'll have some time out and have a think about it.
"I'm sure he'd like to stay in racing in some form but he's only just had the news and it'll take some time to see it through. He knows his form and point-to-points very well."
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