The quick-thinking actions of two jockeys have saved a young rider from a devastating fall during a horse race in south-west Queensland.
Apprentice jockey Lilli Barr, 17, was competing in her second-ever race day at the Roma Turf Club on Saturday when she lost her footing in the stirrups and clung onto her horse with metres to the finish line.
"I was, you know, a bit worried,” she said.
Video captured the moment Barr bumped horses with local Roma jockey John Rudd, who pulled her up.
"It was nice of him — he definitely stopped what he was doing just to help me," Barr said,
"He could have won that race … you know — he did what he could to help me."
Another rider, Michael Schrapel, also kicked into action.
"I look across and thought, 'There’s a loose horse' — and then I realised, 'Oh no, there’s still a rider on it,'" he said.
"John was the first rider who intervened and then I thought I need to kick up a bit here and get a bit in front of it, to give it a shunt to get the horse’s balance back in place to pop the rider back in, and thankfully that helped a bit."
With their help, Barr swung back on top of her horse and finished the race.
Hollywood moves
Rudd said the fast-paced moves looked like a stunt from the big screen.
"Yeah, you probably could use it in a movie by the looks of it," he said.
Roma Turf Club president Peter Flynn said he had never seen anything like it before in his 40-year career in race calling.
"What transpired was quite remarkable," he said.
"The main part was the fact was John Rudd reaching out from his horse … he would have reached half a metre to grab her arm."
Mr Flynn said thanks to the quick thinking of the jockeys, Ms Barr managed to escape uninjured.
“What transpired happened over 30 seconds," he said.
'Good job for holding on'
Barr said she was very grateful for Rudd's help and that he would have had a chance at winning if he hadn't stopped to help her.
"First thing you try do is helping someone when they’re in trouble," Rudd said.
Mr Rudd said any other jockey would have done the same thing.
"I think it's a bit far-fetched to call me a hero — it's one of those things that just happened in the moment."
"We all ride together every weekend and in the bush here, we just look after each other, we have a good laugh in the jockey room and everyone wants to see everyone go home."
The young jockey said she was shaken up but went on to compete in the next race.
"I went and thanked him and he told me, 'Good job for holding on' — and that I just had to keep on going and try my best for the next one," Barr said.
