‘I feel like I’ve had to climb a mountain to come back - I can now hear traffic and many things others take for granted’

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

Former champion apprentice Josephine Gordon has received the green light to resume race-riding at Lingfield on Tuesday evening after "climbing a mountain" to return from an operation to address her loss of hearing.

In January, Gordon revealed to the Racing Post she had spent the last seven years battling increasing deafness in both ears which had affected her riding career.

Gordon had originally hoped to be back for the beginning of the Flat season in March but her recovery has been an ongoing challenge. 

The 32-year-old resumed riding out for Simon and Ed Crisford and Keiran Burke in recent weeks and is now ready to take the next step.

She said: “I’m very excited to be returning and it’s been a very long process. It feels like I’ve had to climb a mountain to come back and it’s been an interesting rollercoaster of emotions to get there. I’ve had plenty of tests – concussion tests, hearing tests, balancing tests and fitness tests – to get back to full fitness, plus an Equicizer test.”

Gordon, who is sponsored by Star Sports, had an operation to replace a bone in her right ear which has boosted her hearing. Before the procedure, she had to use hearing aids on a regular basis but they were not permitted when race-riding.

She said: “When I was race-riding I couldn’t hear if the crowds were cheering even when I had winners, so hopefully I can hear them on Tuesday. I can now hear traffic and many things others take for granted."

Josephine Gordon: "I spent a lot of time balancing and then on awareness of what was going on around me and retraining the brain. At the start my eyes and my head weren’t working together and I was getting lost.”Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

She is booked to return on the Burke-trained Zoffandia in a mile handicap at Lingfield exactly four months since her last ride at the same track.

The second woman to ride 100 winners in a season in Britain, Gordon added: “I’ve been up to the Injured Jockeys Fund facility at Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket where instructors Glen and Emma have been great, but it’s been a bit different as usually they deal with concussions etc. 

"I spent a lot of time balancing and then on awareness of what was going on around me and retraining the brain. At the start my eyes and my head weren’t working together and I was getting lost.”

Although her right ear is now fixed, an operation on her left has been postponed.

She added: “I’ll never be the same as an average person but my right ear is now 70 per cent. My left ear needs doing, perhaps next year, but I don’t know if I’m ready to go through this again."

Read this next:

'A lot of people have thought I was rude but it’s just that I can’t hear people' - Josephine Gordon reveals seven-year battle against deafness 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.