Jack Berry House
809. Jack Berry
Jack Berry, from Malton in North Yorkshire, is the founder of a leading rehabilitation centre for injured jockeys.
Jack’s youngest son Sam was himself seriously injured and permanently disabled in 1985, when he fell from a horse. Motivated by his son’s personal struggles and his passion for jockey welfare, 79-year-old Jack has raised £3,000,000 to finance ‘Jack Berry House’, which provides an underwater treadmill, hydrotherapy pool, horserace simulators, a gym and respite accommodation to help jockeys recover. Jack has become an inspiration across horse racing for breaking 46 bones in his 16-year racing career, and also having coached 1,500 jockey winners, and he has received the backing of leading jockeys including Tony McCoy. On Saturday 21st October, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes will be held at Jack’s home racecourse of Doncaster.
In a personal letter to Jack, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“Through the vital rehabilitation you do at ‘Jack Berry House’, you are transforming the lives of jockeys. You should be very proud of your remarkable fundraising for the centre as well as the inspiring impact you are having on the horseracing community.”
Jack said:
“I am absolutely delighted to received this award. And on behalf of the Injured Jockeys Fund I would like to thank all the team at Jack Berry House in Malton and the IJF’s southern facility Oaksey House in Lambourn for their wonderful work”