#UK RACING: GRAND NATIONAL WINNING TRAINER HENRY DE BROMHEAD LOSES SON IN RIDING ACCIDENT

The 13-year-old son of leading jumps trainer has died after a tragic pony riding accident.

Jack de Bromhead sustained fatal injuries on Sunday (September 4) after suffering a fall in the fifth race on Rossbeigh beach on the first day of the Glenbeigh Festival. It happened about 5.20 pm.

Gardai and emergency services were called to the scene, where the young rider received treatment but was later pronounced dead. The rest of the Festival was cancelled.

Jack had shown great promise in pony races and had ridden a winner, one of several this summer, at Cahirciveen Races only days earlier.

The schoolboy would ride out regularly for his father, who made history last year when saddling the winners of the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season. Last season, he again landed the Champion Hurdle, via Honeysuckle, and had a one-two in the Gold Cup with A Plus Tard and Minella Indo.

"Our entire community is shocked," Cllr Michael Cahill told The Kerryman newspaper. "Our sympathies go out to the family. I saw him ride in Cahersiveen only last week. This is awful what’s after happening.

"It’s put a cloud of sadness over our meeting forever. People are here with tears rolling down their faces this evening. This is always a happy, joyous, family festival. Within a short few hour everything has changed. It’s impacting on everyone.”

Jack briefly became a TV celebrity in late April when interviewed by RTE before the stable’s unbeaten mare Honeysuckle extended her winning sequence to 16 at the Punchestown Festival.

“The best mare ever,” Jack told viewers. “She can be a bit angry sometimes. If you walk in her stable, she can turn her bum to you or try and bite you, unless you give her carrots. She loves carrots.”

Suzanne Eade, CEO Horse Racing Ireland, issued a statement on Sunday morning which read: “Like everybody in the horse racing and pony racing community, I want to offer my deepest condolences to his parents Henry and Heather, his sisters Mia and Georgia and extended family, on the tragic loss of their beloved Jack.

"Jack may have been only 13 but he was already incredibly popular in the racing community. His family and friends, his pony racing colleagues and all those who lives he touched are in our thoughts today during this numbing, devastating tragedy.

She added: "Horse Racing Ireland’s equuip department through the Industry Assistance Programme will assist in offering counselling for Jack’s pony racing colleagues and friends. May he rest in peace.”

A spokesman on behalf of Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board CEO Darragh O’Loughlin said: “The directors and staff of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board extend their deepest sympathies to the De Bromhead family on the tragic loss of Jack yesterday. May he rest in peace.”

The British Horseracing Authority said in a tweet: “The BHA sends its deepest condolences to the family of Henry de Bromhead following the tragic death of his son Jack.”