Video footage from Redcar Racecourse went viral on social media on Tuesday, Could 26, after a racehorse delivered a near-fatal kick to a secure employee.
Chloe Bridie, 25, touring head woman for coach Richard Fahey, inspected the tools for her three-year-old gelding Cameco Fever simply earlier than the Class 6 seven-furlong race. The horse initially appeared calm within the parade ring, however then instantly shifted his weight ahead and viciously hit Chloe with each hind legs.
She utterly absorbed the influence and the pressure on her arms despatched her flying backwards, a couple of centimeters from her head. Medical employees rushed to the scene and helped her, with screens blocking her view.
Disturbing footage:
All the pieces occurs immediately, so it’s important to watch out.
A really unhappy incident that simply occurred. pic.twitter.com/OcqCBX4QWk
— Gnocchi🎙️💫 (@Niyazi19940601) Could 26, 2026
He was then taken by ambulance to a hospital for additional exams, together with X-rays. Chloe Bridie solely suffered bruises and was despatched residence to get well.
The horse’s proprietor, Richard Fahey, later confirmed that every one exams on the hospital got here again regular. Cameco Fever, sporting No. 3 cross and blinkers, completed eleventh out of 13 at odds of 9-2. The next day, Redcar Racecourse issued an announcement thanking supporters for his or her considerations and saying Chloe had acquired immediate remedy and had acquired a constructive report from the secure.
Why horses react instantly in a horse racing atmosphere
Cameco Fever’s blinkers restricted facet visibility to maintain you targeted ahead throughout races. Due to this fact, a sudden motion from the facet or close to the hind legs can startle a Thoroughbred with out warning. Chloe Bridie intervened from the correct throughout a routine stirrup and girth test, a set off typically reported by race watchers. Followers commenting on-line mentioned horses anticipate approaches from the left and infrequently react out of worry when startled from elsewhere.
Skilled yard handlers commonly face such moments as an occupational hazard. Racehorses typically weigh greater than 450 kg (1,000 lb) and have explosive energy of their hind legs, making their kicks, even when calm, doubtlessly lethal.
Tragic fatalities associated to horse kicks within the UK and Australia
Ken Dooley, an skilled secure employee in his 50s who labored for coach Amanda Perrett, died after being kicked within the secure space of Kempton Park Racecourse in 2017. Emergency companies rushed to the scene, however he was pronounced useless on the scene.
Racing Victoria has confirmed a brand new loss of life at its Cranbourne coaching heart in 2025. There, a feminine secure employee was fatally injured whereas on obligation early one morning. Authorities described the information as deeply saddening and launched an investigation by police and office security officers.
Instances from Spain display comparable dangers in equestrian settings
Elena Regala, 43, a present jumper from Navarre, died in 2021 after being kicked within the chest by a horse. The incident happened on the Robledale Equestrian Heart in Zionz, within the Urtsama Valley, when horses had been being unloaded after a leaping competitors.
These shocking incidents remind specialists that warning is all the time important round racehorses and different aggressive horses. Regardless of years of expertise, routine work in parade rings and stables includes actual risks. Correct consciousness of blind spots and animal moods continues to kind the most effective safety for workers wherever they’re.
