In an accident during a race, a talent is seriously injured. Help comes too late.
England’s equestrian sport is in deep mourning: Jockey Keagan Kirby is dead. According to a report in the “Sun”, Kirkby was thrown from his horse at a horse race in Kent on Sunday and died from his serious injuries. A rescue helicopter was called in, but even this help couldn’t have helped.
The 25-year-old had been part of the renowned trainer Paul Nicholls’ riding stable since 2019, was apparently considered a great young talent and had already won several awards over the course of his career. Nicholls himself expressed shock and emotion about Kirkby’s death after the accident. “Life is so hard sometimes and victories are completely unimportant compared to what happened today,” Nicholls wrote at X. “One of our best, one of our hardest workers lost his life today. We are all in shock. My thoughts are with all his friends and family.”
Nicholls went on to explain in another post what made Kirkby stand out: “He was so passionate about equestrian sport and rode Afadil (his horse, editor’s note) every day. The last thing he told me was on Friday , was: ‘Boss, Afadil will win tomorrow.’ How right he was. Rest in peace, Keag, we will all miss you terribly.”
The “Injured Jockey’s Fund”, an institution that primarily provides medical and psychological care for injured jockeys, announced further information: Kirkby’s horse had escaped from an obstacle. A team of doctors on site immediately provided first aid, without success.