Popular Sydney jockey Jon Grisedale has confirmed his retirement from race riding, conceding that he will not attempt to make a comeback from nagging injuries.
Jon Grisedale Photo by Racing and Sports
Now 50 and a part of the Sydney racing scene for 35 years, Grisedale hasn’t ridden since he suffered a broken leg in a race day accident at Kembla Grange last October.
Grisedale broke the leg when a horse flipped over on him in the mounting yard.
His recovery has been plagued by complications and he has heeded the advice of specialists to give up on any thoughts of a return to race riding.
He believed he was ready to resume earlier this year but severely damaged the same leg for a second time when he attempted to get back into the saddle prematurely as a hairline fractured had not been detected.
J Grisedale said he had decided to call it a day although he has been riding horses trained by his wife Donna in trackwork at Kembla Grange where they have a growing stable.
“There is no guarantee I won’t suffer another fracture. I weighed things up and it's just not worth going on with it,” Grisedale told the Illawarra Mercury.
"It took me a long time to make the decision. I'm still doing a bit of trackwork and I'll be the assistant trainer to Donna."
Grisedale began his career as an apprentice with the late Bede Horan at Rosehill and retires with more than 1200 winners to his credit, the majority on provincial and country tracks.
Jon Grisedale Photo by Racing and Sports
Now 50 and a part of the Sydney racing scene for 35 years, Grisedale hasn’t ridden since he suffered a broken leg in a race day accident at Kembla Grange last October.
Grisedale broke the leg when a horse flipped over on him in the mounting yard.
His recovery has been plagued by complications and he has heeded the advice of specialists to give up on any thoughts of a return to race riding.
He believed he was ready to resume earlier this year but severely damaged the same leg for a second time when he attempted to get back into the saddle prematurely as a hairline fractured had not been detected.
J Grisedale said he had decided to call it a day although he has been riding horses trained by his wife Donna in trackwork at Kembla Grange where they have a growing stable.
“There is no guarantee I won’t suffer another fracture. I weighed things up and it's just not worth going on with it,” Grisedale told the Illawarra Mercury.
"It took me a long time to make the decision. I'm still doing a bit of trackwork and I'll be the assistant trainer to Donna."
Grisedale began his career as an apprentice with the late Bede Horan at Rosehill and retires with more than 1200 winners to his credit, the majority on provincial and country tracks.