Jockey Dean Holland, who died after a fall at a Victorian race meeting, was a “once in a lifetime person”, his family said.
The 34-year-old South Australian-born jockey fell from Headingley at Donald Racecourse, in Victoria’s west, about 1.30pm on Monday.
Holland was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
On Tuesday his family, including wife Lucy, parents Belinda and Darren, released a statement following Holland’s death.
Tweet from @RacingVictoria
“We are aware of thousands who are sharing our pain as we come to the reality we have lost a once-in-a-lifetime person, a much-loved partner, an amazing father of four beautiful young children in Harley, Luca, Frankie and Lily, as well as a special brother and a wonderful son,” the statement said.
“The outpouring of love for Dean and the care and support for us is helping us deal with our loss.
“We are thinking of Dean’s colleagues in the jockeys’ room as well as all in our industry that he loved so much.
“Finally, as a family, we ask that we be given the privacy we need at this time as we begin to come to terms with our loss.”
Tweet from @10NewsFirstMelb
Holland’s death comes a little more than a month after his latest career highlight.
He rode the filly In Secret to victory in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on March 11, having only picked up the ride after fellow rider Jamie Kah was injured in a race fall earlier that afternoon.
It was his second and most prestigious top tier victory, the first happening 13 years earlier in Adelaide.
Holland scored 1080 race wins throughout his career and had been riding in career-best form.
Anzac Day race meetings at Flemington in Melbourne and Moe in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley did not go ahead on Tuesday out of respect for Holland.
Racing will resume at Ballarat on Wednesday with the second race to be named in Holland’s honour with jockeys to wear black armbands during the meeting to mark the death of their colleague.
Racing Victoria stewards have adjourned an inquiry into Monday’s incident to a date to be fixed.
WorkSafe is investigating the circumstances surrounding Holland’s death.
-AAP
