Jacqueline Coward: ‘AP must have no feeling’ says Mum [H&H VIP]

A huge thank you to everyone for your kind messages and support while my mother [Cherry] has been recovering from a recent riding fall. She has had 2 metal rods and 12 screws inserted in her spine and 4 ribs fractured.

She was moved to Malton Hospital, which means it’s closer for us to visit, and we’re hoping she’ll be home very soon. It’s been a tough few weeks and we have missed Mum, she really does do the work of an Army!

One of the first things she said was: “AP [McCoy] must have no feeling.”

It doesn’t rain but it pours

Talking of injuries, there have been a few nasty falls recently, including Jason Maguire. He had to have part of his liver removed and was in a coma, but has since been bought out of it and is making a good recovery.

Then there were Bryan Cooper, Ruby Walsh and Daryl Jacob plus others who suffered nasty falls at the Cheltenham Festival. If it doesn’t rain, it pours, but it’s all part and parcel of race-riding.

It annoyed me to read what people had to say about Ruby’s comment on the death of Our Conor at Cheltenham.

Ruby is right, horses can be replaced, but humans cannot. We think the world of our horses and it is devastating when we lose them, but people need to look at the bigger picture. Maguire, Cooper, Walsh and Jacob are more important than any animal, and we wish them a speedy recovery.

Emergency calls

I received a phone call at 8.30am on Sunday from my distressed cousin Laura Mason, who had not realised she was riding in the ladies’ at Dalton Park and had to make 10st 7lb.

So I took my lightweight Flat gear and all the girls helped Laura get dressed, telling her she couldn’t wear anything under her breeches and silks.

After weighing out 2lb overweight, she rode a fantastic race and beat me. They say she rode a bit like Davy Russell.

Jacqueline’s column was published in Horse & Hound magazine (20 March, 2014)