‘Never been so scared’: Butt recovering from wild ride

Champion driver Anthony Butt has faced the harness racing starter thousands of times but admits he’s “never been as scared” as when a broken bit left him helpless at Melton last Friday night (April 11).

Butt was drawn inside the front row on Kota Bharu which got unbalanced and galloped just after the start of race nine.  Butt immediately went to restrain the gelding but when the bit broke, he had no control whatsoever.

“It was virtually as soon as the gate left. He just bolted and I was going okay until we hit a bit of a ditch. I did see it, but it happened so quick and I had no steering, so there wasn’t much I could do about it,” Butt, 59, said.

“I got thrown into the air. I ended up landing on the dust sheet with my back on the arch of the cart. I was lucky that the dust sheet sort of acted as a hammock. I was aware what was going on, but it was all out of my control.”

After the horse veered from the track in the back straight it crossed the infield towards the home straight.

“I was so lucky, particularly when he went from the inside of the track and galloped straight across in front of the other runners in the home straight,” Butt said.

“Then we hit the outside fence, and I was sure the cart would flip up. But it didn’t and we kept on galloping down the track, scrapping the outside fence.

“A clerk of the course Taylah (Markham) arrived to catch the horse and thankfully I had a headpole strap fitted (for a lugging pole) and that gave Taylah something to grab onto.

“He’s a funny horse and I was still worried that he might break free, so once she pulled him up, I just sort of rolled out onto the track!”

Butt, who trains a team at Harkness, near Melton in partnership with his fiancé Sonya Smith, was taken to hospital where he stayed overnight.

“I was released at lunchtime and doctors found I’ve got two fractured vertebrae in my lower back. My left leg is sore, so I must have got a decent knock there and apart from that I’m a bit battered and bruised,” he said.

“I don’t need surgery, and they told me the vertebrae will heal on their own. I’m sleeping okay and the main problem is getting up and down.”

Butt, who is one of Australasia’s most decorated horsemen and a winner of almost 1400 races including 69 group ones, said it had been his most serious racing incident.

“I’ve hurt some ribs, a knee and an elbow so I’ve been lucky. There’s been a couple of things happen at home over the years, but this has been the worst thing I’ve had happen at the races,” he said.

“I’m so careful with my gear and have it all in great order so I’m a little disappointed that the bit broke.

“But thankfully I put that pole strap on all my horses, because it’s something that’s there for you to get hold of when you remove the halter.

“I’m really thankful to the clerks, the track staff and everyone else who helped out – we are really one big family when things like this happen.

“We have 10 horses in work at the moment, and Sonya’s in charge for now – as well as looking after me for a bit!”

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink