Sunday, September 6, 2009

Two jockeys have been killed in a fire in a block of flats on Saturday.

At 0200 BST on Saturday a fire broke out in a three-storey block of apartments in Buckrose Court near Malton, North Yorkshire, England. The two jockeys have been identified as Jamie Kyne, who was only 18, and Jan Wilson, who was just 19. Both were described as promising young jockeys.

Two other men had also been taken to a hospital in York due to the effects of minor burns and smoke inhalation. One of the men has now been released from the hospital and the other man’s injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

A police investigation is currently taking place in the area and a man in his 30s living in the area has since been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent. North Yorkshire Police are going to interview the man and try and establish whether he was involved or not.

Kyne was due to ride at Haydock on Saturday afternoon, while Wilson was due to ride at Thirsk on the same day, while riding her mother’s horse, Imperial Sword — and so both were staying in the apartment as a means of accommodation, as Jamie came from Ireland and Jan was from Forfar, Scotland. “The family are devastated and Jamie was a star,” Kyne’s aunt said. “They [his parents] are so proud of him. At the moment they are just devastated and shocked.”

David Barron, Wilson’s trainer, paid tribute to her as “a tremendous jockey”. He said: “She was just at the start of her career and was only in her first year of riding as an apprentice. She joined me at the end of last year and had ridden three winners for me out of only a handful of rides. She was very good, very capable and had tremendous potential. Everyone in the yard is just devastated.”