August 10, 2018
Sunshine Coast jockey Jason Hoopert, currently recovering from a race fall, has taken out the 2018 South East Queensland Country Jockeys Premiership.
It is the third year in a row the former Murgon resident has won the senior premiership.
Hoopert was injured when he fell from Magestical Maiden in Race 5 at Gympie on July 21.
His career has had its ups and downs, including a race fall at Kilcoy in 2006 which almost cost him his life.
Hoopert was told he would never race again, but got back to the track in 2011.
He also came in 12th spot in the Racing Queensland Country Premiership for 2017-18, with 22 wins from 159 starts, 23 seconds and 18 thirds and $190,740 in prize money.
Nanango jockey Hannah English came in 17th spot with 20 wins from 100 starts, 16 seconds and nine thirds, and $140,250 in prize money.
In top spot in the country premiership was Dan Ballard, from north-west Queensland, who took out the title for the fourth time in his career.
Ballard won an incredible 54 races from just 167 starts, as well as 32 seconds and 25 thirds, earning $391,075 in prize money.
