Paralysed jockey vows he’ll fight to walk again
23-year-old determined to battle back from injury
A JOCKEY has been left paralysed from the waist down in a fall – witnessed live on TV by his parents.
Jacob Pritchard Webb achieved his dream of becoming a professional jockey in September after he moved to France.
But on June 23, he fell from his horse at Auteuil racecourse in Paris, causing serious damage to his spine, as well as breaking several ribs and his sternum.
Jacob, 23, is now paralysed from the waist down and has been told he will never walk again, let alone ride a horse.
His parents, Matt, 45, and Kelly, 42, live in Earl Shilton.
Matt said: “This year had really picked up for him in terms of rides and opportunities.
“He had a few wins in a really short space of time, so things were really taking off for him.
“He was riding at Auteuil – that’s quite a significant racecourse. It’s equivalent to racing at Cheltenham.”
The accident happened on Jacob’s first race of the day.
His horse had taken the first few jumps well.
“The horse came over a fence and staggered and stumbled,” Matt said.
“He was thrown off and landed like a javelin on his head. We were at home watching as it happened.
“Not knowing (what was happening) was awful but fortunately his friend was in the same race and he managed to get his phone to the ambulance he was in.
“My wife managed to get through to him.”
He said Jacob told them, “I can’t move. I can’t feel my legs.”
Matt and Kelly went to Paris, where Jacob was in hospital. It was there doctors discovered his spinal cord had become compressed and he had broken his sternum, several ribs and damaged a lung.
The doctors told him he will never walk again. However, Jacob is determined to prove them wrong – and has told his parents he wants to become a bloodstock agent, buying and selling thoroughbreds.
He has already begun his studies in the hospital.
“He has absolutely baffled us, really,” said Matt. “Bloodstock is something he was probably going to do when his career ended anyway.
“Just days after his injuries he said he wanted to speak to such and such because they’re a bloodstock agent.
“So now there are books on his bed, all sorts of stuff. It’s like he’s a uni student again, it’s been absolutely amazing.” A fund-raising page has been set up to help Jacob with his recovery. It has so far raised more than £19,000. If Jacob succeeds in proving doctors wrong, any of the equipment he has used and no longer needs, along with any extra funds, will go to the Injured Jockeys Fund.
It’s like he’s a uni student again, it’s been absolutely amazing
Matt, pictured with Jacob and Kelly