Leading rider Jerry McGrath has been forced to retire aged 31 a year after he suffered a horror fall.
The sportsman was seriously injured in the incident at Lingfield, which involved two other horses and jockeys.
McGrath's mount Vegas Blue became short of room on the home turn and fell heavily on the all-weather surface.
Initially fearing paralysis, medics found he had dislocated and fractured his left shoulder and hip.
But although he has mostly healed well from the January 18 2021 accident, one of the injuries proved more difficult and it unfortunately cut his career short.
"I got back riding out and thought it was going the right way, but my bicep ruptured and I've got what's called Popeye syndrome where my bicep is constantly tensed," he told the Racing Post.
"That set the range of movement back. The bicep was probably damaged in the fall and when you start strenuous exercise – like riding out – it popped.
"It's affected me massively and the doctors and BHA's medical adviser Jerry Hill, who's been a great help, agreed there wasn't much we could do."
McGrath rode two winners at the Cheltenham Festival in his career – Une Artiste in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle in 2012 and Beware The Bear in the 2019 Ultima Handicap Chase.
Both horses were trained by Nicky Henderson at Seven Barrows, where he was a key member of a team alongside Barry Geraghty and Nico de Boinville.
McGrath said although he did not want to call it a day, he is thankful for the recovery he has made.
"I suppose I'm unlucky I've had to retire, but the flip side could have been a lot worse," he added.
"It's not something I like talking about, but I could have been in a wheelchair. I wasn't knocked out, so remember everything – not feeling any pain and then it being excruciating – but you could live off that moment forever and end up ruining your life thinking about it."
Overall McGrath celebrated more than 200 winners and Henderson said he has continued to be a great asset to his Lambourn yard.
He has helped the trainer with entries for his team of horses and already has an interest in the bloodstock side of the sport.
“I feel desperately sorry for him, he wasn’t going out on his own terms which is never easy, but he’s tailor-made for the bloodstock game and we wish him all the best – but he’s not going anywhere," Henderson said.
