31-07-2025
Plane flying jockeys to Goodwood forced to make emergency landing
A plane carrying five jockeys to the Glorious Goodwood meeting on Thursday was forced to make an emergency landing after having to turn back.
Irish rider PJ McDonald, Rowan Scott, Callum Rodriguez, Tom Eaves and Jack Garritty had arranged for a light aircraft to transport them from Yorkshire to West Sussex.
However, due to engine trouble, they were unable to complete their journey and will now miss their rides on the third day of the esteemed event.
Scott, 29, was scheduled to ride two horses at Goodwood, Magellan Cloud for John and Sean Quinn in the first race at 1.20 and Naana's Sparkle for Alice Haynes at 3.45.
He revealed to Mirror Racing that he and his four colleagues had boarded the plane at Bagby Airfield near Thirsk.
"We are on a two engined plane and one of the engines failed," he said. "We weren't exactly calm at the time. We panicked a bit!".
"There was a big bang when one of the engines failed. The pilot said straight away that he needed to bring it down so we turned round and flew back to Bagby.
"He brought the plane down but as we were coming down there was another bang. Something had flown off the engine and hit the side of the plane."
He added: "The pilot was great. He kept his cool but we knew we were in a bit of bother." P. J. McDonald riding Pyledriver (Image: (Photo byfor Ascot Racecourse))
The journey from Bagby to the Goodwood Estate, which has its own airfield, is a 286-mile trip by road, hence why northern-based jockeys regularly fly to the meeting.
Scott revealed: "I would say we were a good half hour into the flight, possibly halfway there. If we had been in real bother the pilot would have brought the plane down at the nearest airstrip but he turned round.
"We were already on edge when we heard the second bang, as we were approaching Bagby. Thank God we are in one piece.
"Jockeys often fly down from there. I hadn't before and I don't thinking I will be rushing to do it again. We were all a bit shook up.. The pilot wasn't best pleased with the situation we were in but he was keeping his cool."
