Mikey O'Connor© Photo Healy Racing
Mikey O'Connor expressed his dissatisfaction with The Turf Club after his Buster Dan Dan won at Killarney this afternoon.
O'Connor who trains and rides was injured after a fall in April however he was refused the Injured Jockeys' allowance by the Turf Club as he rode again after the fall.
He explained: "I injured my shoulder in a fall in April but thinking it was ok, I continued riding for four or five more rides. However it turned out I had chipped a bone on my shoulder and also had muscle wastage.
"The Turf Club refused to give me the Injured Jockeys' allowance though as, on a technicality, I had ridden after receiving the fall.
"I'd no assistance from them, not even the bare E200 a week, and had to get local trainers to pay for my operation and it has been tough with my family buying messages and putting bread on the table.
"I wanted to make the case known as I've put in around E100,000 in fees from riding against the professionals (jockeys) into the Qualified Riders Accident Fund but due to a technicality, cannot now claim money. It's unfair."
The Qualified Riders' Accident Fund is administered by the Turf Club. As a point of clarification this is a separate registered charity to the Irish injured jockeys Fund which receives no funding from Jockeys' fees.
The Irish Injured jockeys' Fund which was launched in September 2014 is only funded from donations from the public which are then re-distributed to other existing charities including the Qualified Riders' Accident Fund.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
