Lisa gearing up for racetrack return

When South Australian reinswoman Lisa Ryan’s world came crashing down in a sickening harness racing fall earlier this year, few would have imagined her contemplating a return to race driving.

But nearly two months later and typically upbeat, Ryan’s back at the stables, back at the races and looking forward to a return to the sulky and the racetrack.

Ryan fractured eight vertebrae (including two in her neck that were also dislocated) fractured five ribs and suffered a minor brain bleed after she was catapulted 15 metres into the air during a race fall at Globe Derby Park on April 31.

“I have to admit, when (husband) Toby came to see me in hospital the first time after the crash I told him, ‘I think that’ll do me for race driving’ and he said, ‘yep, no worries’,” Ryan said.

“Then the next day I said to him that I thought I’d changed my mind, that I did want to get back race driving, and he was fine with that too.  He’s supportive with whatever I want to do.

“I would love to get back to race driving and the way I’m recovering I’m pretty sure that I will.  It’s probably not the smartest thing in the world, but we all know the risks we take every time we go out there.

“I’ve watched the replay and it was pretty confronting I have to admit.  But we can all fall at any time, and I’m not any more or less likely than anyone else.

“If you start wrapping yourself up in cotton wool, you probably look back at some stage and wonder why didn’t you just live life?”

Ryan, who made her first visit back to the races at Globe Derby on Monday this week, said she was humbled by the industry’s response to her accident.

“Virtually from the minute I hit the deck the flowers started rolling in and the texts started coming,” she said.

“The industry support from across Australia actually, has been overwhelming.  Especially the South Australian industry – I don’t think there’s been anyone here who hasn’t done something to support us, helping out, sending messages or dropping food around – there are some amazing chefs out there!”

Lisa and Toby work a team of about a dozen horses, including “a few babies”.

“We have a great crew, but Bill Cormack and Matthew Smith have been fantastic in making sure Toby could still get everything done when I was on the sidelines – we’re so grateful to how they have stepped in and got us through.

“They did find out that I was still able to clean harness, though!”

Ryan who has driving since the 2009 season, with 244 victories to her name (including a career highlight Group Two victory on Treasure (Art Major) in the Woodlands Stud State of Origin Series Final last year) said she found her way into harness racing by chance.

“I didn’t have any background in the sport – my dad was a gallops trainer, and my passion was three-day eventing,” she said.

“But I had one of my horses put its foot through a fence and it needed a vet – Toby was the vet!

“It just went from there. I started helping him out, then told him I thought I might get my driver’s licence just for trials, and then if we needed a driver at times.

“So I think I had my first race drive when I was about 40 – no pony trots for me!  Then when our main driver David Harding hurt himself badly I started driving all of ours.

“It’s been a relief to be honest, to be back out at the stables for the past week or two.  The first couple of weeks after the accident were pretty ordinary, but the last couple of weeks I have really accelerated in my healing.

“This week at the trots everyone was just so warm and welcoming and happy to see me – it was just lovely to be back.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink