South Australia’s champion reinsman David Harding may never drive again.
“You never say never, but at the moment, it (driving) is something I’m not planning to do,” Harding said.
Harding, 37, who started harness race driving in 1994/95, has driven 2399 winners in a brilliant career, topping 150 winners for the past 10 seasons.
The star driver is currently making progress after an horrific race fall at Globe Derby Park on Monday June 8.
Harding dislocated and fractured his left hip and broke his right ankle in two places in the fall.
“I can’t begin to describe the pain,” Harding said. “I was conscious the whole time and didn’t feel any relief until in the ambulance on the way to hospital.”
The star reinsman, who drove more than 200 winners in a season three times during his career, has just started doing light work around the stables of his father, trainer Les Harding.
“I can’t do too much because if I do I pay the price when I get home.
“Having said that, walking around a bit has seen the injury improve and it is not too bad now.”
Harding was confined to bed for eight weeks after the accident but is now able to walk around as the injuries heal.
“I guess I could get back into a cart now if I wanted, but it is not something I want to do.
“Life is about choices. The doctor said I was in a freak accident, and it had been a freak I had not done more damage.
“He also said if I landed on the same spot again in a fall, the result could be far worse. So that is the choice, or gamble, I have to make, whether to run the risk of another fall.
“I have been lucky. I broke the right ankle in two places in a grass track race at Victoria Park when I was just starting out so now it has had four breaks. But I haven’t had many falls.
“Driving is not simply sitting in the cart. You have to alert, agile, and use your legs, especially if a horse is pulling. I have to know in my own mind that I could give 100 per cent if I was driving, and certainly at present, such is not the case.”
Harding said the hip had been dislocated for two and a half hours before being put back into place, and as such disrupted the blood supply.
He has to return to the specialist in 12 months for more X-rays to determinate if he will need another operation on the hip.
“Apparently it takes that time to determine if the injury is healing correctly.”
Harding said he would make a decision regarding his future over the new few weeks.
“After 20 years helping Dad and driving I now have to face the reality of planning for the future.”
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
