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Conner McCann: marathon runner and jockey back in the ascendancy
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Fri 20 Dec 2024
By Ed Watson
Conner McCann looked like a seasoned pro as he brought Prince Of Perth with a perfectly-timed challenge on Musselburgh’s run-in on Monday.
But it’s long-distance running that the rider credits with getting him back in the right headspace to overcome the physical and mental scarring of the devastating injuries he suffered in a freak accident two Christmases ago.
McCann ended up in a coma after being kicked in the head by a horse he was leading in from a field.
He gradually recovered and was eased back into his dream job by his supportive bosses Lucinda Russell and Peter Scudamore.
But the super-talented 7lb claimer admits there was something missing and decided to take another break from the sport earlier this year.
That’s when his love of running was rekindled - and it’s proved a game-changer in getting his life back on track.
"It made me realise how much I love racing"
McCann, 20, revealed: “I used to run a lot when I was at school, 3ks and 5ks at first.
“As I got a bit older I seemed to get slower rather than quicker.
“So I stepped up to running 10ks, then half-marathons and got on well with those.
“I’d always wanted to run a marathon. This year I’ve run seven half-marathons and two full marathons.
“I did the Edinburgh marathon in May in three hours and 15 minutes.
“I really wanted to go under three hours, so I trained really hard and got sharper for the Loch Ness marathon in September, which I did in two hours and 57.
“That was great. But as much as I've really enjoyed doing it, it also made me realise just how much I love racing.
“For me, there is still no better feeling than riding winners.”
Mental toll of injuries
McCann speaks to Gordon Brown after winning on his first ride over hurdles in November 2021
McCann burst onto the scene three years ago, booting home four winners from his first ten rides to become the talk of the steam room.
But he’s been dogged by a series of setbacks since then, including serious spine, neck and leg injuries sustained in a fall in 2022 that came on just his second ride back from a broken arm.
While the physical scars eventually healed, the mental ones have left a lasting effect.
McCann, who’s still only had 46 rides in three seasons, added: “When I came back from my head injury, I wasn’t riding well.
“A horse ran out on me at Aintree one day. Other horses I thought should run well for me weren’t and it made me wonder if I’d lost my ability to ride.
“It took me a long time to admit it to myself, but I was scared. I was riding horses just to get round because I was petrified of falling.
“After my injury, the doctors said if I had one more bad fall, I could end up in a wheelchair, I’d have people getting me out of bed and feeding me, pretty much non-functioning. At 20, that’s a big thing to have weighing on your mind.
“It got to a point where I couldn’t pretend any longer, so I sat down with Lucinda and Scu and told them. They were brilliant with me.
“I needed that time away from racing, and all the worries I was having, to get it clear in my head what I wanted to do. The running really helped with that.
"I'm not quitting now"
“I thought about giving up, for sure. But I said to myself, ‘I’m not quitting now’.
“I’ve been through too much, and worked so hard to get back, that if I quit now I’d be left with a massive sense of underachievement.
“You could get hit by a bus going to work tomorrow. That’s how I look at life now.
“When I thought about it like that, it helped me make up my mind to carry on.”
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