Two spectators were hospitalized following an accident involving a horse at a race event. The incident occurred at Cartmel during the final meet of the season on Bank Holiday Monday, where a 10-year-old horse named Wbee, trained by Gary Hanmer, sustained an injury during the third race. The horse, ridden by jockey Alan Doyle, veered off course and collided with spectators after going through the rails near the penultimate jump.
Emergency medical and veterinary teams responded swiftly to the scene, leading to a delay in the racing schedule as confirmed by the British Horseracing Authority. A statement from Cartmel Racecourse indicated that two individuals were taken to the hospital for treatment, while the horse, Wbee, despite receiving immediate veterinary care, could not be saved.
The subsequent race was delayed by 38 minutes from its original start time. A horse named Sea The Clouds, partially owned by Tyson Fury, failed to complete the course with Brian Hughes as the rider. The steeplechase event, known as the Wicks Group Cavendish Cup, was won by Olivers Travels, trained by Mickey Bowen and ridden by Sean Bowen.
In a separate incident at Ripon, jockey Charli Parker suffered a fall during the final race due to her horse, Star Start, stumbling after running short of room. Parker was reported as stable when leaving the racecourse and was transported to James Cook Hospital for further evaluation. The horse, under the care of Ruth Carr, escaped unharmed and was returned to the stables.
Following the incident, an enquiry was planned by the stewards regarding the fall of Star Start, but it was postponed due to Parker’s unavailability for an interview as she was receiving medical attention. The investigation will be rescheduled for a later date.
