THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - APPEAL FUNDS SHOULD COVER ALL BASES
By Graham Potter | Sunday, August 18, 2013
Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily
Ten days before the tragic events of Darwin Cup day jockey Nathan Patchett arrived for work at Callaghan Park in Rockhampton where five barrier trials were scheduled to be run.
It was meant to be just another day at the office and that’s how it looked to be unfolding when Patchett won the second trial by four lengths on a horse called Niseko Gold. But that is where all normality ended for the local rider.
Patchett’s horse in the third trial, Kingdom Star, is simply listed as a non-finisher in the trail results, but the reality behind that result is a tale of trauma.
A crashing fall ultimately ended the life of the horse and forever changed the existence of the rider who was transferred to intensive care with bleeding on the brain and a crushed femur.
In essence Patchett is lucky to be alive. While definitive long-term diagnoses is not clear at this time, it is fair to suggest he faces a tough and long road to recovery.
Also taking on that demanding journey will be Patchett’s partner and his two daughters, the youngest being just six weeks old.
Fast forward ten days to the race fall that took the life of Simone Montgomerie at Darwin.
Here, unlike in Patchett’s case, we are not talking about injuries or rehabilitation. We are talking about someone paying the ultimate price.
The difference between the Darwin and Rockhampton incidents thus is stark and must be noted.
That would account, in part, for the just as stark difference between the reaction country-wide in terms of the comparative support given to the two families who both suffered at the hands of random racing accidents.
I know this is a delicate point so don’t get me wrong.
As part of the racing fraternity I am extremely proud of the overwhelming display of support that has been shown to the Montgomerie family from those involved in all aspects of the industry on a national basis.
The financial generosity from all of those who have donated amounts … large and small … to the Simone Montgomerie Fund has really been quite astonishing in its own way.
My wish would be that every family caught up in these dire circumstances could get all the financial support they need and the Montgomerie Fund has shown just how much can be achieved in a short space of time.
The success of the Montgomerie Fund has been driven from within the industry. From websites to national racing publications, radio and television, stories, photos and details of where to deposit donations have been readily available … and all power to that fund!
But before everybody pats themselves on the back, let’s remember to take another look into the hospital room where Patchett lies, recovering but with an uncertain future with his partner and two children by his side.
It’s a hard question to ask, but have they been left behind in the flourish of giving?
At the last count it has been reported that the local Rockhampton community has to date raised somewhere between $15 000 to $20 000 under the banner of the Nathan Patchett Appeal Fund (in contrast to the hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Montgomerie Fund).
With both the current and the on-going financial burden that the changed circumstances have placed on them the Patchett family are going to need more than that.
Perhaps you can help.
*The Rockhampton Jockey Club has launched an appeal to assist Patchett and his family.
Contributions can be made to:
The Nathan Patchett Appeal
Commonwealth Account
BSB 064710
A/C 10580468
*In terms of full disclosure I have never met or spoken to Nathan Patchett or any member of his family. I just feel that some people fly under the radar and are left to struggle alone unnecessarily when help might be available if their position is made known to the greater public. Patchett is certainly not alone in this, but he is the case in point at the moment.
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