Veteran Queensland jockey Shane McGovern has undergone a second leg amputation, three weeks after a freak accident at his Charters Towers stables. Surgeons at Townsville Hospital successfully removed his right leg on Wednesday night, two weeks after his left leg was removed below the knee.
The 67-year-old is in recovery, but will likely need more operations as he faces a lengthy rehabilitation period.
Australian Jockeys' Association Provides Update
The Australian Jockeys' Association account shared an update on the "devastating" situation on Thursday. Kevin Ring, the association's health and safety officer, provided an update on McGovern's condition to Racenet.
"He's in recovery at the moment and he had a good night afterwards apparently," Ring said. "He's sedated of course, but he's going to have to have other operations I would suggest. They can do amazing things these days, so as long as he's got some quality of life, that's the main thing. It's going to be a long slog with rehab."
Ring added that McGovern is "tough as nails" and will attack his recovery with aplomb.
Details of the Accident
McGovern suffered the nightmare injuries after getting trapped under his nine-year-old horse Reformist during routine trackwork. Reformist reportedly died from an aneurysm during trackwork and, as the gelding collapsed, it fell onto McGovern. He was trapped for six hours before eventually being found by his wife Kim, who is also a trainer.
As well as losing blood circulation to both his legs during the ordeal, McGovern suffered broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder.
"I thought 'well, that's Shane, he'll just go off for a ride', which is what he does because the horse was supposed to be racing on Monday," Kim McGovern said days after the accident. "But I'm absolutely kicking myself, and it's a thing I will never forget. And then this ghoulish little arm comes up, and he says 'I'm all right'."
Community Support
A GoFundMe campaign set up to help the McGovern family has already raised over $75,000 as it closes in on their target of $90,000. The outpouring of support highlights the tight-knit nature of the racing community and the high regard in which McGovern is held.
