IS IT A BIRD? IS IT A PLANE? NO, IT’S THE 4.20 AT WINCANTON!
IT had seemed likely to be the dream moment for amateur jockey Lewis Ferguson. A first win on his first ride for his new boss, champion trainer Paul Nicholls, looked to be there for the taking as he and Merrion Square approached the final fence of the John Dufosee Memorial Hunter Chase at Wincanton yesterday. But Merrion Square, the clear leader, swerved and the jockey lost his balance. Merrion Square still jumped the fence cleanly but his unseated 18-year-old rider’s waist hit the obstacle with such force that he pivoted into the air. The birch of the fence acted like a springboard and Ferguson looked like a crash-test dummy as his momentum pitched him into the air. The jockey from Hawick was propelled into an almost perfect one-and-three-quarter revolution. His feet pointed directly into the sky as he flew through a spectacular and heart-stopping rotation that bore all the grace of an Olympic gymnast. No marks here, though, for artistic merit, just a heavy landing beckoned. Ferguson’s whip went flying as he came out of his spin and the disorientated young jockey slammed into the turf on his back. There was no time to brace himself for the impact but, fortunately, at least he had been thrown clear of the chasing horses. When Ferguson hit terra firma racegoers winced, but he bounced back much in the way these brave sportsmen so often do. He was soon able to stand and walk away with minimum assistance from attendants. A relieved Nicholls later joked: ‘The only thing damaged is his pride!’ Ferguson said: ‘I wasn’t aware of what had happened until after I watched the replay in the weighing room. ‘I was just a bit winded. I have never had a fall like that before. It is not something you can practise for. Hopefully, it will never happen again. I’m on TV but not for the right reasons!’