“God Had a Different Plan for Me”: Despite Suffering a Saddening State, 30-Year-Old Jockey Remains Hopeful After His Return

Though horse riding is a sport of chasing the adrenaline rush, it also has a series of dangers involved in it. From chronic injuries to brutal lacerations, the equestrian arena has covered it all. Likewise, the Tampa Bay Downs jockey, Raul Mena, suffered from a severe femur injury in December 2022, while riding his gelding on the Tampa Bay Downs turf in Oldsmar, Florida. However, after four months of medical rest, Mena is back on the field and is now all set for chasing home points.

Four months ago, the 30-year-old fractured his femur when he was unseated from his mount on the turn for home at the Tampa Bay course. Following this, he underwent surgery at Tampa General Hospital to reset the fracture and have a titanium rod inserted with screws to keep the bone intact. Now, four months later, as the equestrian returned to his game, he has a heartfelt message to share with his fandom.

Raul Mena asserts the message of hope following the Tampa Bay Downs Opener

Following the Tampa Bay races on Sunday 16th April, Mena answered a series of intrigues asked by Paulick Report. Though he felt mild symptoms of fatigue due to the heat and humidity, he stayed optimistic and stated, “When you are out for a couple of months or even a couple of weeks, you can feel the difference, especially in this kind of weather…but you never forget what you have to do”.

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Pulling off the curtains from his femur injury fiasco, the Chilean equestrian mentioned, “My goal this winter was to try to be in top five here, but God had a different plan for me”. He then shared his perspective from the other side of the coin and added, “you never know what is going to happen in this career, so you have to be prepared for everything mentally and physically”.

Now, after the Tampa Bay Openers, Mena has girded up his loins for the races on May 6th. Then, on 24th May, he’ll head north for the Delaware Park meet, where he finished 6th in the 2022 circuit, and placed 5th in the 2021 circuit. As he reached the robustness to once again guide his gelding in the races, he expressed his gratitude and asserted, “I’m thankful to God for helping me come back and to my wife with my recovery”.

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