Hollie Doyle swallowed two teeth, lost six more and needed a year’s worth of work to fix smile after being KO’d by horse
LOOK at her now and it is easy to see why Hollie Doyle is all smiles. She is one of the best jockeys in the world, came third in Sports Personality of the Year and is eyeing up a huge 2021 with the Flat season about to start in full. Oh, and loved up with […]
LOOK at her now and it is easy to see why Hollie Doyle is all smiles.
She is one of the best jockeys in the world, came third in Sports Personality of the Year and is eyeing up a huge 2021 with the Flat season about to start in full.
Oh, and loved up with fiance Tom Marquand, another superstar jockey at the top of his game.
OFFERS OF THE DAY
William Hill: Bet £/€10 Get £/€40 in Free Bets (£/€30 sports + £/€10 casino – mobile only) – CLAIM HERE
Paddy Power: £/€20 Risk Free Bet – CLAIM HERE
William Hill: 18+. Play Safe. New customers using promo code M40 only. 1x per customer. Min £/€10 bet. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Free bets of 2 x £/€15 issued after first qualifying bet settles. Max £/€10 Bonus. 35x wagering requirement. Max redeemable bonus: £25. Casino bonus expires after 72 hours. UK & Eire only. Additional T&Cs, including free-bet, game, location, payment method and stake contributions apply. Begambleaware.org
Paddy Power: New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £/€20. Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy’s Rewards Club: Get a £/€10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £/€10+. T&Cs apply. 18+ Begambleaware.org
But back in a race at Haydock in 2018, Doyle, 24, suffered a fall that would be enough to put most people off ever riding again.
Doyle was aboard a horse called Snoop – a huge outsider at 66-1 – when it stumbled and unseated her.
But worse was to come.
At least three horses went right over the top of her.
She was kicked under her jaw and had two teeth knocked out, which she accidentally swallowed.
She was rushed to hospital but amazingly back riding ten days later – however 12 months of trips to the dentist were required to fix her smile.
She told SunSport that year: “I got knocked out but I remember waking up and thinking I was fine – until I swallowed some of my teeth!
Most read in Horse Racing
“I lost five or six of my top teeth. All apart from the top two ones got repaired.
“I was pretty lucky. It is part-and-parcel of racing. My teeth can be replaced. My parents were worried but know it will happen at some stage.”
Talk about taking it in your stride.
But that has to be part of the genetic make-up of jockeys, who know the dangers associated with riding these animals at speeds of 40mph over twisting tracks.
AP McCoy – the only other jockey to be nominated for SPOTY – broke pretty much every bone in his body and all his teeth.
Doyle recently went over the experience again for The Times, saying being a jockey brings ‘risks’.
Quite the understatement.
Speaking of her Haydock horror, she said: “I smashed most of my teeth.
“There’s plenty of risks attached to the job. I just saw that as being part of the job.
“I remember a bit of it. I was knocked out.
“I didn’t actually realise I’d lost my teeth until I sat up and spat a few out.
“It didn’t hurt that much, I was just mortified when I looked in the mirror.
“It took a full year to get the teeth completely done but I knew when it happened they would replace them and it could have been worse.”
FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org