Michael Francis Rowland (September 12, 1963 – February 9, 2004) was an American

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

. He was born in

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

. During his career, Rowland won 3,997 races. Rowland died at University Hospital in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

from head injuries suffered during a race on February 4 at

Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located within the city limits of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), ...

, when his mount broke down and collapsed. Two other jockeys were injured. He was placed on life support, but never regained consciousness. Turfway Park established the Michael F. Rowland Fund, as well as the Michael F. Rowland Award to honor the jockey who best exemplifies Rowland's work ethic, professionalism, and perseverance. The inaugural award recipient was Luis Antonio Gonzalez, a jockey based at

Thistledown Racecourse Jack Thistledown Racino is a thoroughbred race track and casino in North Randall, Ohio, at the outskirts of the city of Cleveland. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Jack Entertainment. History and Information The track came under the ...

near Cleveland. Thistledown racecourse also started a memorial fund for the Rowland family. In 2006, Rowland was posthumously inducted into the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowland, Michael American jockeys 1963 births 2004 deaths Jockeys who died while racing Sports deaths in Kentucky Sportspeople from Saratoga Springs, New York