Harrison nearing return to race riding after another injury lay-off

By Jordan Gerrans

Tegan Harrison says she is hungry to get back riding winner as she ramps up towards her return to race riding later this year.

The 32-year-old former leading apprentice has had a wretched run of injury luck over the last few years, currently working her way back from a broken leg at her Gold Coast home.

Harrison has not ridden since early March of this year and is aiming to get back within the next couple of months.

When she suffered the broken leg at Eagle Farm earlier this year, Harrison had only recently returned from suffering a nasty fall aboard the Stuart Kendrick-trained Nineonone, resulting in fractures to vertebrae, two ribs and her sternum.

Having to deal with two untimely lay-offs in her career has only made Harrison hungrier to get back.

“I was really enjoying my riding just before this happened and it was disappointing but I guess it is just how the game goes,” she said.

“They are just the cards you are dealt; you do not have any control of it and you just have to deal with it.

“I was enjoying my riding and it makes me hungry to get back to that, I was having a lot of fun with it.

“It is something I am working towards in my physio because I know I want to get back to something I love.”

The Group 2-winning hoop has recently ditched her crutches and is hobbling around her Gold Coast property, which she owns with partner and local trainer Ben Hull.

“I am getting closer to being back riding, I have about two months to go of rehabilitation,” Harrison said.

“I am definitely at the better end of it, I am off the crutches and limping around, I am working to turn that into a fluid walk.

“When I do that, I will be ready to rumble back in the saddle.”

While fractures to vertebrae, two ribs and her sternum sound much more serious than a broken leg, Harrison says her second stint in rehab has been arguably tougher.

“I found it challenging, I broke a lot more bones in my previous injury but this one I found more challenging as I have never been on crutches before,” Harrison said.

“You are very limited in what you can do with them and I found that very tough.

“We are well supported on and off the track as riders and I was able to get help around home, with the little jobs I needed to do while I was hopping around, I was very lucky in that regard.

“I am glad to get rid of them and be on the better side of my recovery.”