- Kelsey Hannan has returned home from hospital
- She was involved in a serious accident at Strathalbyn Racecourse
- Hannan slipped in and out of consciousness but has been cleared of major injury
Kelsey Hannan has been cleared of major damage after the apprentice jockey fell at Strathalbyn over the weekend.
The 21-year-old lost consciousness after the incident at the Strathalbyn Racecourse south-east of Adelaide at about 1.40pm but was able to move her legs and hands.
She was placed in an induced coma after being airlifted to Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Hannan, who hails from New Zealand, had finished her race on board Iva Dream when the mare appeared to clip another horse’s heels, sending her over its head about 50 metres past the finish line.
There were fears of a serious spinal injury but Seven reports that she is on her way home after suffering only a stable fracture in her neck vertebrae.
Kelsey Hannan (pictured) is back home with a broken neck after falling off a horse
The 21-year-old was coming back from a broken jaw she suffered last October when the incident unfolded in South Australia
‘Hey everyone! Thank you for all the messages,’ Hannan wrote late on Sunday night.
‘I’m awake now with a fractured C1 vertebrae, could have been a lot worse! Appreciate all the love xx.’
Racing South Australia also issued a statement, in which they thanked medical staff for their treatment of the New Zealander.
‘We anticipate that she will be released from hospital within the next 24 hours,’ the organising body said.
‘On behalf of her family and the entire riding group, our thanks go to the team at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for their outstanding care of Kelsey and to the wider racing community for their messages of love and support.’
Hannan had just recovered from a broken jaw she suffered in a trackwork incident on October 8 last year.
The injury required surgery to have a plate and screws inserted into the bone.
The remaining races of the meet just south-east of Adelaide – including the Strathalbyn Cup (pictured) were postponed after the shocking accident
Prior to that she had been in outstanding form, riding six metro winners in the space of two weeks.
‘It was very gutting but with horses these things happen and you can’t really tell when it’s going to happen,’ she said.
‘I’ve had surgery to put a plate and some screws in it, so now it’s just a waiting game.
‘The swelling is going down, I’ve got a big, ugly bruise on my chin but overall I think the healing is going OK.
‘I’m on a puree diet for six weeks.’
