Racing Star Josephine Gordon Sidelined After Major Hearing Surgery
One of British racing's most accomplished female jockeys is confronting a significant period away from the track following crucial surgery to address degenerative hearing loss. Josephine Gordon, who claimed the champion apprentice title in 2016 and became only the second female rider to achieve over 100 winners in a single season the following year, underwent a ninety-minute procedure that may keep her out of action for several weeks.
The Gradual Onset of Hearing Difficulties
The thirty-two-year-old rider first noticed issues with her right ear several seasons ago, with the problem eventually spreading to her left ear approximately two years back. "It began first in the right ear and then two years ago it started in my left ear," Gordon revealed in an interview. "It's something that normally happens when you're older but for some reason because I am younger it has been developing a lot quicker."
After multiple inconclusive doctor visits, a free hearing test at a high street optician in Newmarket provided the diagnosis: Gordon was experiencing partial deafness. The condition was identified as otosclerosis, a disorder where abnormal bone growth in the middle ear leads to progressive hearing loss.
Racing Restrictions and Surgical Intervention
The diagnosis necessitated hearing aids, creating an immediate conflict with racing regulations that prohibit jockeys from wearing such devices during competition. "When you're racing you have to be able to hear everything around you," Gordon explained, "and when it came to having two hearing aids I realised things were becoming a lot more difficult. I'm not allowed to race with hearing aids under the rules."
Following her last ride on January 12, Gordon underwent the surgical procedure that involved replacing bone with a plastic pin in her right ear. Medical professionals had warned that without this intervention, she risked complete deafness. "Thank God the operation has worked and the hearing in my right ear now is pretty good," she reported.
Recovery Timeline and Future Prospects
The jockey, who has amassed 429 career winners, now faces a careful rehabilitation period. "During the operation they replaced bone with a plastic pin. That needs to settle down as any pressure could cause it to dislodge," she detailed. "At the moment I am doing the bare minimum. The first two weeks I've not really been doing anything and then over the next few weeks I will be doing gentle walking. The main thing is to find my balance again."
While the surgery has significantly improved hearing in her right ear, Gordon acknowledges she will likely require hearing aids for the remainder of her life, as her hearing will never return to full capacity. She also anticipates needing similar surgery on her left ear in the future, though that procedure will be scheduled separately as her left ear is currently less severely affected.
"In the future I could have an implant, which connects to your brain, but for now, this surgery has helped a lot," Gordon noted, expressing gratitude for the medical intervention that has preserved her ability to continue her racing career once she completes her recovery period.
