Elsworth wins on emotional return after injury nightmare

The pain of the career-threatening fall; the seriousness of the concussion; the self-doubt as he struggled to regain his balance; the uncertainty of whether he would ride again; the fact that riders are naturally impatient; the anxiety as he watched other jockeys win on horses that he should have been riding. It is why the Guiseley-born rider was almost overcome as his long-awaited comeback ride was a winning one aboard 14-1 Edgbriar in the Zeturf.Com Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

As soon as he crossed the line and caught his breath – Elsworth was certainly blowing hard after the two-and-a-half mile race – he was surrounded and congratulated by his fellow jockeys. They know the struggle and torment, both mental and physical, that the Yorkshireman has endured.

Elsworth's face told several stories – the emotion of his comeback, his gratitude to his closest supporters and the unbridled joy at a fairytale return aboard the Paul Webber-trained chaser.

"It's a huge amount of relief, I knew the horse had the capability," said 30-year-old Elsworth. "It was a long time to be out but I kept on believing, and it came off in the end. With a head injury it's quite a grey area, you are turning to medication but the doctors did say it would get better, and it has.

"As soon as you get back it all seems the same, just like riding a bike."

Elsworth makes it sound simple – but it has not been. Before he could contemplate riding again, he had to regain his balance – first walking unaided and then by learning to ride a bicycle again. At times, he could not even bring himself to watch the racing on television because of the anguish it caused him.

Yet he never gave up – even though Frankie Dettori, the face of Flat racing, said he could not imagine 14 months on the sidelines as he sent Elsworth his best wishes hours before the race. The encouragement and support of his wife Louise, who he has described as "a rock", lifted the rider's spirits on the darkest of days, while he was quick to salute the Injured Jockeys Fund after dismounting from Edgbriar.

He has made full use of the gym and rehabilitation facilities at the charity's Oaksey House facility in Lambourn to accelerate his recovery, with the IJF's leading luminary Jack Berry now trying to build a similar facility in Malton.

Without Oaksey House, says Elsworth, his recovery would have been even more arduous.

The most satisfying part of the day was his riding. When disaster struck at Ffos Las in August 2009, this former stalwart of the Yorkshire Pony Club circuit had established himself as one of the country's finest horsemen.

This was evident as he allowed Edgbriar to bowl along at the head of a competitive field, meeting the demanding fences with precision before repelling the sustained challenge of eventual runner-up Chaninbar.