Respected jockey, 43, dies after horse ‘goes berserk’ and charged at his mount

Japanese rider Kosuke Matsumoto has passed away after his a horse ‘went berserk’ and charged at his mount, causing Matsumoto to fall and hit his head

A jockey has passed away after a horse ‘went berserk’ at a racecourse.

Japanese rider Kosuke Matsumoto, 43, was rushed to hospital after he fell from his horse at Sonoda Racecourse in Amagasaki, Japan.

According to The Sun, Matsumoto fell from his horse and “hit his head hard on the ground” in a pile-up.

It’s believed that one horse bolted and charged at Matsumoto and his mount during early morning trackwork. According to one local report, the horse ‘went berserk’ while Matsumoto and other jockeys went about their morning business.

Matsumoto hit the ground hard and was rushed to a local hospital in cardiac arrest, where he was pronounced dead seven hours after the fall, which occurred around 5.50am.

Local police have reportedly opened an investigation with two other jockeys suffering minor injuries.

A moment of silence was held at the racecourse before the action got underway on Tuesday (January 14).

Matsumoto, who is from Kyoto, made his debut at Himeji on October 14, 2002. He would win his first race that November – the first of his 261 wins from 7,624 race starts.

A respected horse racing outlet in Japan said: “He was involved in training from early in the morning until the last minute, and was well-liked by trainers and jockeys, and was loved by those involved.”