Wetherby Races raise over £52,000 for Spinal Research

The children of former Grand National and Gold Cup winning jockey Graham Lee spoke movingly of the impact of his life-changing spinal cord injury at the opening meeting of Wetherby Races.

Graham was paralysed from the neck down after being unseated in the stalls at Newcastle Races nearly three years ago.

He and his family were among nearly 250 guests at a special charity lunch and auction at Wetherby’s Northern Raceday which raised more than £52,000 for Spinal Research.

Robbie and Amy Lee spoke of their very different experiences finding out about their dad’s accident and the severity of his injuries.

Robbie was at the family’s North Yorkshire home studying for his GCSEs and watched the accident live on television while Amy was in her first term at university.

She remembered being picked up late at night by family friend and fellow top jockey AJ McCoy for the long drive to see her dad in the RVI Hospital, Newcastle.

Both siblings struggled to process the enormity of Graham’s injury but spoke of the amazing support of family, friends and the racing community and the hope they share that breakthrough research will deliver new treatments.

Amy said: “Every day is a new battle but so far we have won each one and live to fight the next, which is something my family are so grateful for.

“We all know that hope is such a powerful catalyst and motivation, especially for us in our new normal, and for Dad.

“The potential for improving or getting back anything, however small, is what gets him through his treatments.”

In his stellar career Graham Lee rode more than 1,000 winners over jumps before switching to flat racing.

The popular Irishman completed the unique achievement of winning both The Grand National, on Amberleigh House, and the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Trip to Paris.

Now in its 36th year, Wetherby’s Northern Raceday for Spinal Research has raised over £850,000 for the UK’s leading charity funding research to develop life changing treatments for spinal cord injuries and ultimately a cure for paralysis.

Suzanne Redding, Head of Audience and Communications at Spinal Research, said: “We are so grateful to Amy and Robbie, to Wetherby Racecourse and to every single person who supported the Northern Raceday.

“After decades of funding the best research and researchers we are now at a point where breakthrough therapies are coming through; where the impossible is becoming possible.

“At this pivotal moment, what we urgently need is the funding to turn hope into reality for Graham and his wonderful family and for the 110,000 people in the UK alone who are living every day with the devastating consequences of a spinal cord injury.”

Every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed after a spinal cord injury.

Globally, an estimated 15.4 million people are living with paralysis. It can happen to anyone at any time, changing lives instantly.