Chris Kinane, the former jockey and trainer badly injured by a kick to the head from a horse in the parade ring at Wolverhampton in 2005, is to walk aroud Fontwell’s parade ring on Wednesday (Oct 24).
The 55-year-old will attempt a full circuit of the ring, watched by racegoers, to raise money for a new hydrotherapy pool at Jack Berry House, the Injured Jockeys’ Fund’s second rehabilitation centre in Yorkshire.
With such a traumatic head injury causing a catastrophic loss of mobility, the one lap of the parade ring at Fontwell is a feat that will require a massive effort from Kinane.
He will begin at midday, two hours and 20 minutes before the first race on Fontwell’s afternoon card.
He said: “I relish the challenge of the walk and look forward to kick-starting the fundraising for a hydrotherapy pool at Jack Berry House because my weekly sessions in the pool at Fontwell have had a very positive impact on my rehabilitation. Fontwell is my local track and I have lots of happy memories there.”
Kinane will be accompanied by wife Tessa, children Michelle and Claire and a support team of Jayne Bradley, physiotherapist at Fontwell and Southbourne Physiotherapy, and regular carers Kara and Liam who will walk alongside Chris to maximise his stability.
There will be a wheelchair following Chris so he can make regular stops.
Brough Scott, Chairman of the IJF said: “To anyone who knew about Chris’s accident, the idea of him being around at Fontwell now would have been as unlikely as him walking on water. Supporting him to walk across the paddock will go towards the new hydrotherapy pool at the IJF’s new flagship Jack Berry House an entirely appropriate focus for his quite incredible effort.”
Chris can be sponsored at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RedKinane
Our Fontwell tips: 2.20 Tigre D’aron, 2.50 Inner Steel, 3.25 Current Climate, 4.00 Easter Day, 4.30 Gee Dee Nen, 5.05 Fifi L’amour, 5.40 Old Dreams.
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