Leading Rider In US For 2021 Suffers Major Spill At Delta Downs

Leading rider Everardo Rodriguez was injured Friday night at Delta Downs.

© Coady Phtography

By Greg Thompson, StallioneSearch.com

VINTON, LA –JUNE 4, 2022–The leading rider in the nation by wins for 2021, Everardo Rodriguez, suffered a traumatic spill on Friday night June 3, 2022 at Delta Downs.

The 33-year-old native of San Luis Potosí, a city in central Mexico, has won multiple leading rider titles at Quarter Horse meets in Louisiana, and led the entire nation in wins in 2021 with 147 victories. 

Rodriguez also celebrated three-futurity victories last year in the Laddie Futurity(RG2), Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity(RG1), and the $1-Million Louisiana Million Futurity(RG1) aboard Blood Money.

In the fifth-race on the June 3rd card at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana, Ruben Chavez-trained Tf Fortunate One suffered a catastrophic breakdown just yards before the finish line with Rodriguez aboard in a maiden event for Louisiana-bred 2 year-olds going 220-yards.

The horse appeared to roll on-top of the fallen rider before emergency efforts were made to attend to both fallen rider and horse.  Tf Fortunate One was reported to have been humanely-euthanized due to injuries suffered as a result of the breakdown.

Rodriguez was transported via ambulance to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for observation, where it was determined that he was experiencing 'bleeding on the brain', according to his agent Gerald Thomas.  Thomas reported that Rodriguez was then LifeFlighted to Beaumont, Texas late Friday night for possible surgery to Christus Southeast Hospital. 

As of press time on Saturday morning, surgery has not yet been performed and was being reported as possibly unnecessary, as Rodriguez is still under observation in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit.  It was reported that physicians have been waking him up every hour and that he is responsive with the report of no broken bones from the spill.