Walker reveals extent of horror injury from Pakenham fall
Popular jockey Michael Walker has revealed the full extent of the injuries that he suffered following a fall at Pakenham on Thursday night, saying he screamed at medical professionals to “just cut off my leg”.
The man known as “The Cuz” underwent emergency surgery after the fall to relieve pressure on his broken leg, with further surgery required on Sunday and then another operation scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Walker’s manager, Liam Prior, revealed that Sunday’s surgery went as well as it could have, but the 24-time Group 1 winner still has his leg cut open from his ankle to his knee with surgeons to complete the procedure on the broken bone.
Further scans revealed that Walker had also ruptured his ACL, which means he is facing a minimum of 12 months’ worth of rehabilitation before he can get in the saddle again.
The enigmatic Kiwi’s injuries were made even more complicated when he developed Compartment Syndrome – a painful and dangerous condition caused by pressure build-up from swelling or internal bleeding.
“I was screaming to them to cut my leg off, it felt like it was going to explode. Anything they gave me, it wouldn’t take the pain away,” Walker said.
The 37-year-old hoop revealed that he thought the fall was going to be a simple one, but when his mount Insaaf tried to clear him on the ground, her back leg hitting his calf was the key reason behind the severe injuries.
Walker had enjoyed another successful season in the saddle, pairing up with the Mick Price-trained Odeum in the Thousand Guineas in the spring and tasting multiple successes at Group 2 level.
With a long road to recovery ahead, Walker will be aiming to be back in time for the 2022 Spring Carnival.