Jockey Tyler Conner on the Mend

[Wandering Eyes]

Some 24 hours after he was in a frightening spill at Colonial Downs and had to be airlifted to the hospital, jockey Tyler Conner made noticeable progress Friday and was able to take a few steps in the critical care unit at Virginia Commonwealth Hospital in Richmond.

“The doctors are all very optimistic that he will make a full recovery,” said his father, John Conner. “They said it could take a month, it could take a year. We'll know a lot more in a few days.”

Conner sustained a C1 fracture and broken nose following a spill in the seventh race July 24 at Colonial Downs. The remainder of the card was canceled after the incident. Conner was aboard Stanza (Great Notion), who clipped heels and unseated the 31-year-old jockey. He remained conscious following the spill.

“It's 24 hours later and he walked around the critical care unit today,” Conner said. “And he did like three squats. The left arm is still a struggle for him. He can use it. But he looks like he was in a train wreck. They took X-rays today and there was nothing new. He was walking and I was crying this morning.”

Conner said that his son refused to take the powerful drug oxycontin that was offered to him and instead relied on Tylenol to deal with the pain.

“They say it will get better with time,” Conner said. “He refuses the serious painkillers. He wouldn't take the oxycontin they offered him last night before he went to sleep. He's just taking Tylenol. They also have him on Gabapentin, which is supposed to be good for the inflammationC1 fracture. He said when he initially got in the ambulance he couldn't move anything. Twenty-four hours later he can move his limbs and is doing well.”

When asked if his son felt lucky to be alive, Conner said: “I guess it is a matter of inches. It could have gone one way or the other, so, yes, he is lucky to be alive. He doesn't go cheap when it comes to the helmets and the vests. The helmet did its job.”

While Conner expects that his son will return to riding, he said nothing is certain.

“Whether he rides again, I don't know,” he said. “We'll see where that goes. I think he'll be ok. My belief is he will ride again because I know he won't want to go out that way. And he's only 31. We'll just see how the progression goes. It's day-to-day, but it looks very good at this point for him. He understands it is part of the business. He's been racing motorcycles for 10 years, so he knows you can always leave in an ambulance.”

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