Queensland Jockey Shane McGovern Confronts Double Amputation Following Trackwork Incident

A jockey from Queensland faces the potential loss of both legs after being trapped beneath a deceased horse for six hours.

Shane McGovern, 67, was conducting routine trackwork with his nine-year-old gelding, Reformist, on Wednesday in Charters Towers, a rural area located over 130km southwest of Townsville.

It is believed that the horse suffered an aneurysm and collapsed on the country jockey, pinning his legs and cutting off blood circulation.

His wife, Kim, discovered him six hours later.

“I thought, ‘that’s just Shane, off for a ride’, which is typical for him since the horse was entered to race on Monday,” she told Racenet.

“But now I feel terrible about it; it’ll be a memory that stays with me forever.

“Then this little arm appears, and he says, ‘I’m all right’.”

Currently, McGovern remains in an induced coma at Townsville Hospital, as reported by the Australian Jockeys’ Association.

“He was unable to move his legs, which significantly impacted his blood circulation and resulted in nerve damage as well,” safety officer Kevin Ring stated to Racenet.

“There is a chance he may have to undergo amputation of one or both legs.”

According to reports, surgeons have operated on his thighs but have left the calf regions open to observe tissue damage and mitigate the risk of infection.

“He was awake at one point, but they’re administering powerful medication that caused him to hallucinate, resulting in some hyperventilation,” Kim explained.

“They had to put him back into an induced coma, reinsert the breathing tube to give his body a break, and they’ll keep him in that state for a few days.”