Shameful abuse of Nico de Boinville shows why jockeys might not wish to open up
Jonathan Harding on the need to call out those engaging in social media abuse
In the week when two champion jockeys are crowned at Sandown, there came a stark reminder of the inherent risks involved in the profession.
Nico de Boinville suffered broken ribs and neck injuries after being kicked in the back when As The Fella Says fell in a novice handicap hurdle at Plumpton on Easter Monday. Following the incident, the jockey was taken by ambulance to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where he spent the night before returning home.
That evening, a number of right-minded social media users expressed support for De Boinville, sending him their best wishes for a speedy recovery, sympathetic to the fact he would miss some big rides in the final weeks of the season, but amid those messages were some predictably unpleasant contributions and suggestions he ought to retire.
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