Racing fans were amazed yesterday (1 April) after teenage jockey Lewis Ferguson escaped unhurt from a horror fall at Wincanton — in which he somersaulted over a fence.
The 18-year-old amateur was in front going to the jump on the Paul Nicholls-trained Merrian Square when the incident happened, during the 4.20pm John Dufosee Memorial Open Hunters’ Chase.
But the 4-7 favourite jinked at the fence, throwing the jockey straight into it.
Lewis fell against the fence and flipped over in a spectacular fashion before landing on the racetrack. Astonishingly he got to his feet rapidly and came away unscathed from what could have been a very nasty fall.
Lewis remarkably walked away with just a cut to his nose.
Clerk of the course at Wincanton Barry Johnson said it was “one of the worst falls” he’d ever seen.
Lewis wrote on his Twitter account yesterday (1 April) to thank racing fans for their kind messages. He added that he had a “bit of a sore head” after the fall but said that he was “on the whole absolutely fine”.
And the young jockey was back riding out for champion National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls at his Ditcheat yard this morning (2 April), just 14 hours after his fall.
“I’m fine today, absolutely perfect,” the Scottish rider told Great British Racing. “It all happened in a blur. I was just a bit winded.”
Coombe Hill was the winner of the race, trained by Chris Honour. Second was Foynes Island and third was 100-1 shot Tandori.
The footage of Lewis’ acrobatic fall quickly went viral online.
The racing world took to Twitter to share their amazement at the video.
“Lewis Ferguson #nails” wrote Channel 4 Racing’s Graham Cunningham.
“That is one of, if not the most remarkable, spectacular, horrifying and thankfully injury free falls you will see. Glad Lewis Ferguson is ok,” tweeted Racing UK’s Oli Bell.
The BBC’s Frank Keogh added: “Jump jockeys are a crazy, tough bunch”.
Footage by Racing UK.
