BREAKING NEWS: Horseman Bryony Frost suffers ‘serious incident’ just minutes after biggest ever win worth £46,000 causing chaos in stands
In a dramatic turn of events at ParisLongchamp racecourse on Thursday afternoon, acclaimed British jockey Bryony Frost etched her name deeper into racing folklore with a stunning victory aboard Good Girl De Faust in the prestigious Prix de Chambly, a Grade 3 hurdle race that netted a career-high prize of €55,000—equivalent to approximately £46,000. The 30-year-old Devon native, riding for trainer Mickael Seror and owner Amanda Ingram, guided the five-year-old mare to a thrilling three-quarter-length triumph over the heavily fancied stable companion Olga De Kiev, marking Frost’s maiden Graded win on French soil and her most lucrative success to date.
The electric atmosphere in the stands reached fever pitch as Frost crossed the line, her trademark exuberance on full display. She dismounted with a beaming smile, wrapping her arms around Ingram in a heartfelt embrace that symbolized not just the financial windfall but the culmination of relentless dedication. “She’s a very special young mare who doesn’t stop galloping,” Frost gushed in post-race interviews, her voice laced with emotion. “When I jumped the last two out, she was absolutely phenomenal. This is the energy you dream of in young horses—the kind that carries you home with such heart.” The victory, witnessed by a packed crowd of over 15,000 enthusiasts under the Parisian sun, was hailed as a breakthrough moment for the Anglo-French racing alliance, with Seror crediting Frost’s tactical acumen for outmaneuvering the field on the undulating Auteuil track.
For Frost, whose career has been a rollercoaster of triumphs and tribulations, this win represented a pinnacle amid a season of resurgence. The daughter of Grand National victor Jimmy Frost, she burst onto the scene in 2019 as the first woman to claim a Grade 1 over fences at Cheltenham aboard Frodon in the Ryanair Chase. Subsequent accolades included a historic King George VI Chase success that same year, cementing her status as a trailblazer in a male-dominated sport. Yet, her path has been marred by adversity: a 2018 fall resulting in life-threatening internal injuries, including a liver tear and pancreatic bruising; a fractured collarbone sidelining her from the 2019 Grand National; a severe back injury in 2022 that kept her out for six months; and a high-profile 2021 bullying inquiry involving fellow jockey Robbie Dunne, which spotlighted the darker undercurrents of industry pressures.
Relocated to France earlier this year under a retainer with prominent owner-breeders the O’Learys’ Team Double Green, Frost has channeled these experiences into renewed vigor. “We’re beginning to rack them up,” she quipped post-victory, alluding to a string of recent placings that hinted at this Graded glory. Sponsors like Castell Wealth Management, who back her 2024 endeavors, praised her as a “motivated and hardworking professional athlete,” embodying resilience in the face of the sport’s unforgiving nature. The win not only boosted her seasonal tally to 28 victories but also elevated Good Girl De Faust’s profile, with whispers of upcoming entries in the prestigious Prix Alain du Breil at Auteuil later this autumn.
But the euphoria was short-lived, shattering into pandemonium mere minutes later in the very next race, the opening hurdle event over two miles. Frost, undaunted, had quickly remounted Lewis Du Seuil, a promising six-year-old gelding trained by Seror, for what was meant to be a routine workout ahead of bigger targets. Disaster struck at the third flight, where a tiring leader stumbled, triggering a chain-reaction fall that ensnared several runners. Lewis Du Seuil was brought down heavily, catapulting Frost earthward in a tangle of limbs and turf. Eyewitnesses described a “horrific melee,” with horses somersaulting and riders scattering like debris from an explosion.
Chaos erupted in the grandstands as screams pierced the air. Spectators surged forward, phones aloft capturing the unfolding horror, while stewards battled to contain the mounting panic. One fan, speaking anonymously to French racing outlet Equidia, recounted the scene: “It was like the world stopped. One moment we’re cheering Bryony’s win, the next there’s this sickening thud and people are yelling for medics. Fences were climbed; it was utter bedlam.” Emergency crews swarmed the track within seconds, stretchering Frost away as her colleagues hovered anxiously. Initial reports from the course doctor labeled it a “serious incident,” with concerns over potential spinal and abdominal trauma—echoing her past brushes with grave injury.
As of late Thursday evening, Frost was en route to Hopital Americain in Neuilly-sur-Seine for advanced scans, her condition listed as stable but under close observation. A statement from the British Horseracing Authority expressed “profound concern” and solidarity, while Paul Nicholls, her former mentor and Frodon pilot, tweeted: “Thoughts with Bryony—tough as they come, but these falls never get easier. Get well soon.” French racing officials halted proceedings briefly to allow for a full investigation, confirming no fatalities among the equine participants but noting three other jockeys with minor contusions.
The incident has cast a somber shadow over what promised to be a celebratory day, underscoring the perilous tightrope jump jockeys tread. For Frost, whose infectious passion has inspired a new generation of female riders, this latest setback tests her storied fortitude once more. As the dust settles on ParisLongchamp’s hallowed turf, the racing world holds its breath, praying that the woman who just claimed her biggest prize emerges to chase the next. In a sport where glory and peril are inseparable bedfellows, Bryony Frost’s unyielding spirit remains its brightest beacon—may it guide her through the storm.
