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BRAVE jockey Clifford Lee is aiming to stage his horseracing comeback in February, despite suffering a spinal injury in four places just two months ago.
The Group One-winning rider sustained severe injuries in a cross-country motorbike accident while vacationing in Scotland.
Clifford Lee endured serious injuries in a motorbike crashCredit: Getty
He is aiming for an impressive return to horseracing in FebruaryCredit: Alamy
Lee, 29, fractured his C1 vertebra and experienced an internal bleed during the horrific accident in October.
Nerve damage at the back of his head caused difficulties with eating and drinking.
However, Lee is on the road to recovery after spending over three weeks in the hospital, and he was seeing a speech therapist until just last week.
He shared with Racing Post : “I broke my C1, and the worst part was having a blood clot at the back of my neck. It obstructed my breathing, leading to a tracheotomy.
“They put me under, and I was in a coma for two days. Although it was intended to be four days, I kept trying to wake up.
“They couldn’t administer drugs strong enough to keep me asleep; my body was too resilient, and they couldn’t maintain the coma. Once I was awake, I kept pulling out the tube.
“When I had just regained consciousness from the tracheotomy, I was focused on ensuring I was still alive.
“I would say it was scarier for me than for anyone else. I was heavily sedated and in a coma for a couple of days.
“They used so much anesthesia that I wasn’t fully aware of what was happening.
“It was only after about a week, as they gradually reduced my medication, that I could process everything, and by that time, I was past the worst of it.
“The hospital staff mentioned I was very fortunate; others might not have survived.”
He was victorious in each of his last four rides before the accident and achieved a personal best of 94 winners in Britain in 2025.
Lee has set his sights on defying expectations by returning to competitive racing early next year after an extraordinary recovery.
With over £2.3 million in prize money this season, Lee expressed: “I hope to be back by the end of February or in March.
“I had an x-ray two weeks ago, and they confirmed that the bone is healing very well.
“It was a clean break. The way I landed was akin to throwing a dart at a dartboard, which caused my spine to fracture the C1 in four places.”
Lee spent over three weeks in the hospitalCredit: Getty
The jockey achieved a personal best of 94 winners this yearCredit: Getty
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused Clifford Lee's injuries?
Clifford Lee suffered serious injuries in a cross-country motorbike accident while on holiday in Scotland, resulting in a fractured C1 vertebra and an internal bleed.
When is Clifford Lee planning to return to horseracing?
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Eze Chidiebere Paul
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