New Zealand jockey dies from injuries in two-horse spill
New Zealand jockey Rebecca Black died on Sunday as a result of injuries sustained in a two-horse spill at Tapanui Racing Club in Gore in the south of the country.
Black was pronounced dead shortly after the accident, police officials told the New Zealand press. The 40-year-old Black was a mother of three.
Black fell from Point Proven, who stumbled and fell in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles on turf. A trailing horse, Misscattlecreek, could not avoid Point Proven and also fell, striking Black. Misscattlecreek was ridden by Terry Moseley, who did not sustain a serious injury, according to a website report on the New Zealand newspaper Otago Daily Times.
Point Proven was trained by Greg Wright.
“There are no words for a situation like this,” Wright told the Otago Daily Times. “The horse she rode was one of her favorites. She won on him on the Gore track last season. She loved riding him in work.”
Black’s former husband said that two of her children were in attendance at the Gore races on Sunday. Black also held a trainer’s license and had saddled five winners. As a jockey, she rode 108 winners. She rode her first winner in the 1993-94 season.
Point Proven was euthanized, according to published reports.