Jockey Laurent Beaucamp has been at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune City since he suffered an injury in a riding accident at Monmouth Park on September 5. He remains in the Level 1 Trauma Wing at the hospital. His girlfriend, Pamela Miller, has been at the facility since the injury and his parents are arriving from France at the end of the week. His most recent operation was a 7 hour surgery intended to stabilize his spine. He suffered several serious injuries in the spill including three broken vertebrae that were pressing on his spine, a severe fracture of the left arm, fractured ribs and a punctured lung. He underwent five hours of surgery immediately after the accident to stabilize him and to repair the punctured lung and lacerated liver. Upon his transfer to the Jersey Shore Medical Center he had further surgery to close the incision on his torso. The recent surgery was his third procedure since suffering the injury.
The 41 year old French native was aboard Irresistible Me in the sixth race at Monmouth on September 5. The optional claiming sprint was run on the turf track and Beaucamp was trying to position his near the inside rail. His mount appeared to make contact with the temporary rail throwing Beaucamp hard to the ground. Irresistible Me then proceeded to trip over the rail and fall. He was initially taken to the Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch but transferred to the Jersey Shore facility due to their superior trauma unit. Details have been few since the accident but the latest report is that after several surgeries the jockey remains in critical condition.
Beaucamp raced in the United States from 2008 to 2013 before heading back to Europe. He returned to the US earlier this year had one victory in ten races at the time of the accident. Ironically, his lone victory came aboard Irresistible Me in a $15,000 claiming race at Delaware Park on July 20. He has also galloped horses at Parx for trainer Lupe Preciado, the trainer of Irresistible Me. The horse reportedly avoided serious injury in the riding accident that injured Beauchamp. The most recent word on his condition is that he was taken to a farm owned by his trainer and recovering there.