ON bank holiday Monday, June 4th, Irish Injured Jockeys are hoping for a world record attempt to take place at Gowran Park Racecourse.

The hope is to have the largest recorded gathering of people in helmets in one place at one time.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Gowran Park Racecourse for this event and would like to thank Tommy Farrell and all at the Black & Whites GAA Club for both coming up with this idea and thinking of The IIJF as a partner for the day,” said Michael Higgins of the IIJF.

“The timing of this is just perfect for us as we launch our grant system for jockeys to replace damaged helmet’s which will help reduce the risk of head injuries caused by falls.”

Dr. Adrian McGoldrick, Chief Turf Club Medical officer explained: “I am delighted to be part of this event. While first and foremost a fun event it is an ideal opportunity to stress the importance of the use of appropriate helmets to your sport or occupation. In equestrian sports, this applies to all riders, be they recreational, amateur or professional. It equally applies to other sports and outdoor hobbies, to bikers, cyclists and all employees where there is a risk of head injury

Ruby Walsh Chairman of the IIJF commented: “This is a really fun initiative that we really hope the racing world will get behind. The day falls on a bank holiday Monday and I know Gowran Park will have a host of family fun activities planned for all to enjoy whilst raising much needed funds for the IIJF.

Our new helmet grant scheme has just launched and this is a fantastic platform for the IIJF to showcase how donations to our organisations are not only to aid jockeys who get injured but also to try prevent these injuries occurring.”

Tommy Farrell of Black & Whites GAA Club in Kilkenny said: “June 4th promises to be a brilliant family day in Gowran Park with lots for all to see and do, complementing the racing we will have live music, full family fun zone and some really high-profile speakers discussing concussions and measures to both prevent and treat this injury.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the IIJF on this event and look forward to hopefully making this a record breaking event.”