De Bromhead tragedy
ThE racing community in Ireland was trying to come to terms yesterday with the news that the son of Grand national and dual Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer henry de Bromhead had died in a freak pony-racing accident. Thirteen-year-old Jack de Bromhead sustained fatal injuries in an incident at the Glenbeigh Festival, which takes place on the beach at rossbeigh in County Kerry. Many young jockeys take part in the meeting.
The rest of the weekend’s racing at the venue was cancelled after the incident at 5.20pm on Saturday. In a poignant message alongside the death notice of their son, henry and wife heather described Jack as a ‘one-of-a-kind child who touched all our lives in the best way possible’. They added: ‘Jack has lived so many more years than the 13 — he filled every moment of his days, always busy, forever curious, grasping at life and new interests.
‘The passion he had for his family and friends extended to all his hobbies and interests and he was certainly too busy to spend a minute more than he had to in the classroom!
‘It started with his work on the farm, the tractor, the cattle, the ponies and horses. he was a passionate expert on them all by the time he was 10. ‘By 11, he was offering expert advice and consultation to his father on training horses as he developed his father’s passion for all aspects of racing.’ A pony race was held before the official card at York on Sunday, with the young riders involved taking part in a minute’s silence beforehand. Professional jockeys riding there and at Fontwell wore black armbands.