Irish jockey Michael O’Sullivan died on Sunday after suffering injuries in a fall during a race earlier this month, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board said. He was 24.
O’Sullivan was riding on Wee Charlie when he was one of three riders to fall at the final fence during a race held in Thurles, Ireland, on Feb. 6. He was treated on the track before being taken to Cork University Hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma, CBS News partner BBC News reported.
“On behalf of the O’Sullivan family, it is with profound sadness that the IHRB confirms the passing of Michael O’Sullivan,” the IHRB said in a statement Sunday. “The Directors and staff of the IHRB wish to extend their sincere condolences to Michael’s family, partner, friends, his colleagues in the weighroom and the wider racing community at this time.”
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Dr. Jennifer Pugh, the IHRB’s chief medical officer, said he died early Sunday morning with his family around him at Cork University Hospital.
“We extend our appreciation to the multidisciplinary teams who provided the best of medical care to Michael, both on the racecourse and in Cork University Hospital,” Pugh said in the statement. “Michael’s family took the decision to donate his organs at this incredibly difficult time, but in doing so made a choice that will make a real difference to the lives of other patients and their families.”
Out of respect for O’Sullivan, Sunday’s fixture at Punchestown was canceled along with several other races.
“Michael was an exceptionally talented young rider who was always popular in the weighroom,” IHRB CEO Darragh O’Loughlin said. “Michael will be deeply missed by everyone in racing who had the pleasure of knowing him.”
O’Sullivan’s first win in a professional race came in 2018, at Cork, BBC News reported. He officially turned professional in September 2022 and rose to prominence the next year, after winning multiple races at the Cheltenham Festival in England, according to the BBC.
