ACCIDENT AT THE PARK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 174, 8 July 1932, Page 7

ACCIDENT AT THE PARK

KOVNO BREAKS HER NECK. JOCKEY TINSLEY GRAVELY INJURED. While exercising on the racecourse at Greenmeadows shortly ly before noon to-day, Mr. O. E. Twist’s well-known steeplechaser, Kovno, broke her neck, and her rider, Ivan Tinsley, was admitted to the Napier Hospital suffering from serious injury.

Kovno was jumping in her usual splendid style when she met with disaster at the post and rails. She appeared to go straight into the ob. stacle, landing on her head and breaking her neck.

Some stable hands about 400 yards away who were watching the performance immediately rushed over to find that Tinsley, who was thrown heavily, had sustained severe concussion. He was immediately conveyed to hospital. Mr. Twist’s loss is a particularly heavy one, being the second during the past year, it being remembered that Woden collapsed in the birdcage after competing in the steeplechase at Greenmeadows last winter.

Kovno was a well-known performer at various agricultural and pastoral shows, where her splendid jumping greatly impressed the public. By Guianforte—Miss Beckwith, the chestnut mare was bred in Taranaki by Mr. A. F. Symes, now of Longlands, and during her early years was purchased by Mr Twist. Her jumping abilities soon became evident, and she was trained for steeplechasing. As a six-year-old she won the Napier Park Hunt Club Steeples on June 21, 1924, and four days later won the Woodlands Steeples at Hastings. Her next win was the Petane Hack Steeples at the Napier Park meeting in the following year. In 1926 she won both the Poverty Bay Hunt Club’s Steeples and the Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club’s Steeples, at Hastings. Two years ago she won a point-to-point event at Hast, iugs.

As a performer in leaping events in the show ring she was most successful, and ridden usually by Miss Grace Twist, won principal events in the ovals at Hastings, Palmerston North, Fielding, Wanganui, Woodville, Dannevirke and Masterton.

In addition, Kovno won all the events at the Tikokino sports meeting last year, and at other similar meetings has won many trophies. For the last six years Kovno has been hunted by Miss Twist.