Jockey George Baker was dramatically airlifted to hospital after falling on frozen lake and is now in intensive care
St Leger winning rider George Baker was airlifted to hospital after the fatal fall of his mount Boomerang Bob at St Moritz, Switzerland, during a race on a frozen lake.
CLASSIC-WINNING jockey George Baker was in intensive care in Switzerland on Sunday after a fall at St Moritz.
Baker, who won the St Leger in September on Harbour Law, was riding Boomerang Bob for Jamie Osborne on the frozen lake track when the horse was brought down and fatally injured in the first race of the day.
Three horses came down in the incident but the other two and both of their riders escaped injury.
34-year-old Baker was taken to a trauma hospital in Chur and the rest of the meeting was abandoned.
Baker's agent, Guy Jewell, said: "George is in intensive care at the hospital.
"The one bit of good news so far is that he has already had a CT scan and that has come back clear.
"Now all we can do is wait for the medication to wear off."
Speaking after the incident, St Moritz press officer Claudia Grasern-Woehrle said: "We've had a bad accident in the first race.
"The jockey George Baker was brought down. Unfortunately his horse died and the jockey has been airlifted to hospital.
"We checked the track following the incident and we have found a hole in it, which means we have had to cancel the rest of the meeting as safety comes first."
A statement issued on www.whiteturf.ch read: "After thorough investigation by the persons responsible for White Turf, a crack in the ice had occurred on the inner rails in the direction of the racetrack, some 150m from the finishing line.
"This meant that water had come up to undermine the racetrack."
Thomas C. Walther, President of the Management Board of the St. Moritz Racing Association, told spectators: "As we could not estimate how conditions on the racecourse would develop, we unfortunately had to call off the race meeting.
"The safety of the horses and the riders are paramount. There is no danger for spectators anywhere on the lake."
