“It’s Been a Long…”: Recovering From Months Long Injury, Jockey Saffie Osborne Shares Her Road To Recovery

The horse racing industry saw a marking of new talent to the scenes when now 21-year-old Saffie Osborne sought lessons under Aidan O’Brien and Gai Waterhouse’s yards in 2019. The youngster, with staunch passion and the right guiding hand, started out well when she gained the first apprentice win in her debut year. However, though numerous titles were added to the rising star’s name, it wasn’t always a smooth sail.

Starting from her debut year in 2020, Saffie Osborne has suffered multiple injuries and rather grievous ones. However, recovering from them all Osborne set on a winning spree during her professional year in 2023. But come year-end, the jockey was pushed to the sidelines yet again to finally make a comeback almost 4 months after the incident.

Saffie Osborne is the paragon of sunny optimism

On the 20th, hours before her horse racing comeback to the saddle at Wolverhampton, Saffie Osborne took to X to express her gratitude and excitement. “Can’t wait to be back on a racecourse this evening! It’s been a long road getting back to this point,” she started. Further along, she thanked Oaksey House for help with the recovery and Injured Jockeys Fund for the aid. “2023 was amazing but I’m looking forward to the challenge of making 2024 even better!” she added. 

Osborne incurred the injury back in October following a good year’s run. With a torn ligament the jockey had worked for three weeks more before realizing she needed to stop. Ever since then, Oaksey House and her team have been by the youngster’s side, yielding gratitude. “It’s been a long process and I’ve been in Oaksey House every day since I stopped riding – the team there have been phenomenal,“ she tells Racing Post. Now with better experience and a recovery well progressed, Saffie Osborne has big ambitions for the coming season.

A seasoned jockey’s will to grow

2023 was a great first professional year for Saffie Osborne. The 21-year-old rode a total of 70 winners throughout the year. A breakthrough in Valiant Stakes at Ascot and the Chester Cup with Metier in May were some of the highlights for the jockey. Adding on, Osborne further was named leading jockey by Racing League for the second year in a row and finished among the top 20 in the jockeys’ championship. Now, going into next season, the jockey wishes to add more to the numbers and the titles.

Also Read: Most Memorable Moments of Horse Racing History

“My goal now is to just ride as many winners as possible… I want to better that [top 20] this year.” For her first race of the season, Saffie Osborne took on Hashtagmetoo, placing 2nd.

Watch The Story: Essential Mistakes to Steer Clear of When Riding a Horse for the First Time