“Broke My Ankle Twice”: Frankie Dettori Exposes the Dangers of Horse Racing in Candid Interview With Piers Morgan

At the age of 53, legendary British jockey Frankie Dettori continues to reign the horse racing arenas. Although he announced his retirement from British racing, the Flat Racing champion is now conquering the American dirt, riding winner after winner at the coveted Santa Anita Park. But in his 36-year-long illustrious career, Dettori has also suffered a long list of injuries.

Given the pace at which the sport works, injuries are bound to happen. However, some can be devastating. Despite all the adrenaline rushes fans feel, jockeys, although no different, have to suffer more. As Dettori pairs up with Piers Morgan, he reveals his share of struggles while calling the sport to be dangerous.

Frankie Dettori opens up about the risks of horse racing

In the latest episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, Frankie Dettori spoke at length about his legendary career. But his thoughts on the risks in the sport were most interesting. Explaining the scenes of racing to Morgan, Dettori said, “We go over 40 mile an hour and we actually are up 6 foot above the ground. So one little mistake can end up in accident“. The 53-year-old explained that going at that speed was ‘dangerous’. However, “I feel like one of the blessed ones”, he noted.

Explaining the reason behind feeling blessed, Dettori revealed the long list of injuries he had suffered in his career. “I broke my ankle twice, both of my elbows. I broke my collarbone. I broke my shoulder, ribs”, However, he noted that it was way less than what other jockeys had suffered from. But had he been afraid of the dangers of horse racing, he would have never been able to achieve what he has. The 2023 Breeders’ Cup winner then went on to explain why the life-threatening injuries never stopped him from becoming one of the greatest jockeys of all time.

Dettori’s unmatched love for horse racing

Having ridden over 3500 winners, 287 in Group 1 contests, Frankie Dettori is undoubtedly one of the greatest jockeys of all time. As revealed above, he acknowledges the fact that horse racing is dangerous. However, he still chose to race because the truth is, in his own words, “the highs overpower the lows of getting injured.”

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As Dettori spoke about horse racing, a sparkle emerged in his eyes. “The smell, the adrenaline, the crowd, the excitement gets you sucked into the sport“, he mused as visible shades of joy emerged on his face. Horse racing truly is so exhilarating, so attractive that one’s heartbeats keep soaring into the skies as horses and jockeys jump and race through the dirt.

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