'It was very frustrating being away' - Joanna Mason returns at York on Friday after freak gallops accident involving pigeons

Joanna Mason is eager to make up for lost time as she makes her riding comeback at York on Friday following a leg injury she suffered in a freak gallops incident involving pigeons.

Mason has been out of action since early June following a spiral fracture to the distal fibula on her left leg. It was caused when she was unseated from a startled filly after three pigeons rushed out of the bushes near the gallop at her grandfather Mick and David Easterby's yard.

She has been given the all-clear to return to race-riding and will partner Carolus Magnus in the 1m2½f handicap (7.50) for the Easterbys. She has also been booked to ride Mister Camacho for them in the 2m½f handicap at the Knavesmire on Saturday. 

"It's nice to get back into the swing of things after the hard work to get here and to get back to being busy again," she said. "Those three pigeons are probably still flying around without a care in the world, but it's nice to have the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not shy of hard work to get back to where I want to be, I'm ready for it."

The Easterbys' North Yorkshire yard has been in fine form with 20 winners in June and July, and has been operating at a 20 per cent strike-rate this month while Mason has been on the sidelines.

She added: "It was very frustrating being away – watching our yard have winners left, right and centre. To see them running well was great – but obviously you'd like to be on board them."

Mason, who also spent her time away on a two-day media training course organised by Jets, praised the Malton-based Jack Berry House for aiding her recovery.

"If it wasn't for them I'd probably still be hobbling around – I'm very grateful for everything they've done to get me to this point," she said.

"After the fracture was confirmed I got all of the swelling, it took about two and a half weeks just to try to control that. I used all of the facilities at the house – the ice machine and getting into the hydrotherapy pool to do non-weight bearing exercises – as well as getting physio there. 

"I had to maintain that while doing stuff in the gym and getting strength back too. It's been a busy seven weeks."

Mason has ridden 17 winners in Britain this year, and finished third in the International Jockeys' Challenge at the Saudi Cup meeting in Riyadh in February.

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