Kieran Kelly Remembered The fourth anniversary of jockey Kieran Kelly's death is approaching and nobody in racing will ever forget the 25-year-old who was establishing himself as one of the top jockeys in the country before his untimely passing. Co Kildare jockey Kelly, had ridden Barrack Buster to win at Kilbeggan on the 8th August before suffering serious head injuries when his mount Balmy Native fell in the Joe Cooney Memorial Handicap Chase an hour and a half later. Kelly was brought to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where he lay critically ill on a life support machine for four-days, before being announced dead on the 12th August. It was the first time in seventeen-years that a jockey had lost his life on an Irish racecourse. Balmy Native was trained by Dessie Hughes whose Hardy Eustace provided Kelly with his biggest career success when the pair won the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in the previous March. While he also teamed up with the Dessie Hughes trained Leinster to win a Grade 2 hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting, also in 2003. Kieran Kelly was one of the most popular jockeys in the weigh room and he started off his career in racing with Mickey Flynn before going on to work with Hughes where he saw out his claim and begun to make his way to the top. On Tuesday next the 14th August, a memorial mass will take place at 7.30pm in the Carbury GAA pavilion situated in Parsonstown, Carbury, Co Kildare. While on Friday the 17th August, the Kieran Kelly Memorial Table Quiz table quiz will take place at 9.30pm, also in Carbury GAA with all proceeds going to the injured jockeys fund. A table of four costs just € 20.Niall Cronin
