Racehorse dies and collapses on jockey mid-race
One of New Zealand’s leading female jockeys had a lucky escape from serious injury after the horse she was riding died and collapsed on her during a race last weekend.
Trudy Thornton was riding The Cosmob in the feature race at Ellerslie racecourse in Auckland on Saturday 29 November when the horse suffered a major haemorrhage.
The Cosmob was leading the field when it collapsed just 500m after the start of the race. Ms Thornton was thrown off, before the horse landed on her, trapping her underneath.
Officials at the racecourse and Ms Thornton have praised the quick actions of the track staff for pulling the horse off her rapidly, saying their actions saved her life.
She was reportedly not breathing and turning purple when the horse was pulled off her.
Ms Thornton has broken ribs and a bruised spleen and liver but is hoping to be back in the saddle within the next 3 weeks.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.