Natasha Faithfull: Albany jockey who almost died in 2019 taken to hospital after horror fall, horse euthanised

Albany jockey Natasha Faithfull was rushed to hospital following a horrific fall at Port Hedland races on Sunday — more than five years after a riding accident put her in intensive care. The 30-year-old jockey was taken to Hedland Health Campus to be treated for concussion after falling from a horse named Captain Crocket during the second race at Port Hedland Turf Club about 2.40pm on Sunday. Faithfull had been discharged from hospital on Monday morning. She was in fourth position in the 1600m race when the animal mis-strode and she fell, causing paramedics to rush the dirt track. Senior steward Chris Courtland told The West that the horse had been euthanised, despite the race announcer earlier saying, “the horse is certainly A-OK”. “Captain Crocket sustained a shoulder fracture and had to be euthanised,” Mr Courtland said. Once the remaining riders crossed the finish line, the race announcer said: “Hopefully Tash is OK, I can see her legs moving — but she is still down on the track.” A St John WA spokeswoman said Faithfull arrived at Hedland Health Campus by ambulance about 3.20pm. She fell from the horse at the 1350m-mark, with well-wishes soon coming in from the racing community. In a Facebook post, the Country Racing Association of Western Australia said: “We wish Natasha Faithfull a speedy recovery from her race fall at Port Hedland today.” Jockey Colin Haddon was briefly caught up in the fall and barely managed to stay atop of the horse named Just Striking. In January 2019 Faithfull told The Albany Advertiser she thought she’d die after a fall from a horse at Middleton Beach. The animal fell on top of her during the beach workout after it became spooked by an abandoned bike on a path. “I was struggling to breathe and was coughing up a lot of blood,” Faithfull said. She suffered multiple fractures, collapsed lungs and a lacerated liver before she was flown to Royal Perth Hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit. “We were walking along and next minute I had fallen on the ground with a horse on top of me,” Faithfull said. “I definitely thought I’m in serious trouble when the horse did get off me, just lying there I knew I was pretty messed up. Track rider Tamara Playle came to her aid on the beach before ensuring she did not choke on her own blood. “There was a lot of blood coming up and I owe so much to Tamara. She rushed down straight away and turned me on my side. “If I was there by myself I would have suffocated or drowned in my own blood.” At the time, Faithfull said she wasn’t deterred from continuing as a jockey. “I can’t give an exact time frame but I’ll be back,” she said. “I don’t see this like some. I could have walked across the road and been hit by a car and have the same thing happen,” she said. Faithful had won the first race at Port Hedland on Sunday and had won race five at Belmont on Saturday. Captain Crocket, who was trained by Nadia Bishop, won at Northam last season when ridden by William Pike.