The career of one of Australia's greatestjockeys Darren Beadman is officially over.Beadman, 46, made the announcement onSunday.
The Hall of Fame jockey has beenbattling to recover from a barrier trial fall in Hong Kong in February. Beadman damaged neurons and nerves when suffering adiffuse-axonal brain injury, which affects balance, speech and memory.
"As Kim [wife] saidto me 'sometimes the hardest decisions in life are made for us'," Beadmansaid.
"After the falleverything was up in the air and you don’t know what the future holds, there'sso many grey areas and I probably only had another few years.
"Really the decisionwas made for me and since I've come to live with it I've started to get better.It's made life so much easier and I'm getting on with my rehab which is goinggreat."
Beadman started hisapprenticeship as a 15-year-old with "the boss", the legendary masterof apprentices, Theo Green.
He rode his first winnerin 1982 aboard a galloper called Flagette at Wyong.
"I still remember itvividly," he said. "It was a huge feeling. I was having somethinglike my 20th ride.
"I remember jumping andgoing forward on him. He was a big gangly type and I wasn't very effective onhim in the straight but he got the job done and it is a big thrill to ride yourfirst winner.
"I remember the daygot better as it went on. I caught the train up there, rode my first winner andcame home with Ronnie Dufficy in his Datsun 280ZX. I think it was blue and theride got better and better all day."
Beadman's first of 92Group I wins came aboard Inspired in the 1984 Golden Slipper and he won hisfirst Melbourne Cup aboard Kingston Rule for Bart Cummings in 1990. In 1996 heagain teamed with the master trainer to achieve the Cox Plate - Melbourne Cupdouble with Saintly.
"Your first MelbourneCup is hard to top," he said. "When you start dreaming and start yourapprenticeship it's all about the Melbourne Cup.
"The emotion, the build-up,thinking about it for so many years, it made the experience unbelievable."
In 1997, Beadman shockedthe racing world when announcing his retirement to become a Baptist preacherbefore returning to the saddle in 2000 when he forged one of Australianracing's most lethal combinations with John Hawkes and the then Ingham-ownedCrown Lodge.
Prior to his firstretirement Beadman won two Sydney jockeys premierships in 1994-95 and 1995 - 96.With the backing of Hawkes he won a further five consecutive premierships from2002-03 to 2006-07.
Beadman ended his careerwith a four season stint in Hong Kong. During that time 275 winners includingsix at Group I level.
Beadman's last race ridewas aboard the John Moore-trained Military Attack atHappy Valley on February15. The champion rider went out a winner when recording a 1-3/4 length victoryto end his illustrious career.
Best horse - " Lonhro - 10 Group Is. I had a long termrelationship with Lonhro and I guess that's why I've got him on top of Octagonaland Saintly. Another reason is after I had that time off he was the horse thathelped launch me again. Occy was the toughest horse I rode. He'd go to war foryou. Saintly was so placid and always gave you 100 percent. I really don'tthink we saw the best of him."
Best rival rider - " I've ridden against some great jockeys andeveryone had different qualities. There was natural riders, there was giftedrider, horseman. My hero was Ronny Quinton and I always modelled myself onRonnie's professionalism and his horsemanship. He was the one I had my eyes seton. Peter Cook was one of the most gifted riders I rode against. He had themost beautiful hands on a horse. Mick Kinnane, Lester Piggott, Mick Dittman, JimCassidy. I'd be here for a month if I mentioned them all."
Best trainer - "The boss [Theo Green] he was a life coach to me. At that stage of mylife he installed great things in me that have carried me through. To be ableto be associated with the likes of TJ [Tommy Smith] and Bart [Cummings] and CS[Colin Hayes]. Out of all of them I spent the most time with Bart and he wasthe Michelangelo of horsetraining. It's an art how he prepares the horses. Hawkesy's the other one. He becameanother Theo Green to me where he was like a life coach to me. In riding andlife itself, he's a great trainer."
The recently retired Darren Beadman has been overwhelmed by the support he's received since declaring he'll never ride again on Sunday.
Beadman issued the following statement.
To my loyal fans and followers,
Now that my retirement and details of my injury have been released in full, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the comments and sentiments that have been said about my family, my career and myself.
I am extremely grateful to the overwhelming response I have received and as much as I would love to respond individually to the heartfelt comments, it would take another 30-year career.
I look forward to the next chapter in my life and I hope I am able to share it one way or another with you.
Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
God bless,
Darren Beadman作者:
Agnes 時間: 31/10/2012 11:03 AM
