Jockey Michelle Payne suffers severe bruising and cuts after being kicked in the face by a horse
Michelle Payne has suffered severe bruising after being kicked by a horse in Ballarat, Victoria, on Tuesday morning.
The 35-year-old jockey shared confronting photos to Instagram of the injuries she sustained, including a cut to her chin and bruising on her legs.
The 2015 Melbourne Cup winner told the Herald Sun on Wednesday the horse ‘got a fright and panicked and kicked me in the chin and leg’.
Incident: Michelle Payne has suffered severe bruising after being kicked by a horse in Ballarat, Victoria, on Tuesday morning. Pictured on March 19, 2021, in Melbourne
‘It wasn’t one of my own [horses]. It was a really, really quiet horse and it got a fright… I fell underneath him and when he got a fright he panicked and kicked me in the chin and kicked me in the leg,’ she said.
‘Initially I couldn’t get up because my leg was so sore and I thought I was being a sook. The blood was coming out of my chin but was still okay.’
Michelle was taken to hospital where she had stitches and underwent a head scan.
Injuries: The 35-year-old jockey shared confronting photos to Instagram of the injuries she sustained, including a cut to her chin and bruising on her legs
She said the swelling on her leg has gone down but is being monitored because ‘if it continues to bleed in the muscle it could be dangerous’.
Michelle is the first and only woman to win the Melbourne Cup horse race in its 160-year history.
She won the illustrious trophy riding Prince of Penzance in November 2015.
Making history: Michelle is the first and only woman to win the Melbourne Cup horse race in its 160-year history. She won the illustrious trophy riding Prince of Penzance in November 2015
Michelle’s life story was immortalised in the 2019 film Ride Like A Girl, starring Teresa Palmer and directed by Rachel Griffiths.
The movie was hailed as ‘captivating and emotional’ by critics.
Michelle said of her silver-screen portrayal: ‘Teresa blew me away. It was so believable to watch me, be me.’
Biopic: Michelle’s life story was immortalised in the 2019 film Ride Like A Girl, starring Teresa Palmer and directed by Rachel Griffiths. The movie was hailed as ‘captivating and emotional’