Ben Ffrench Davis breaks femur in Lambourn fall involving Call My Bluff

Ben Ffrench Davis, the 29-year-old conditional jockey who has recently focused on Flat racing, broke his left leg after coming off five-time winner Call My Bluff while returning from the gallops to High View Stables on Folly Road in Lambourn. The fall left him with a fractured femur near the hip; surgeons inserted a rod and "a few screws," he was stabilised, and he is now back home and able to put weight on the limb.

His father and trainer, Dominic Ffrench Davis, described the incident at the yard: "He came off Call My Bluff when he was coming back to the yard. Something frightened the horse and he dumped Ben on the side of the pathway. He's broken his left leg and was taken straight to the hospital." Those immediate actions led to surgery and a rapid transfer from the Lambourn gallops to hospital care.

Ben Ffrench Davis outlined the medical specifics: "He's broken his femur near the hip, so they've put a rod and a few screws in, but he was stabilised and he's able to put weight on it. He's in good form and looking forward to making the effort to get back on the track." The operation took place, with Dominic confirming, "He was operated on on Wednesday morning, and he's back home now."

Rehabilitation has already begun with visits to Oaksey House. Dominic said, "He's already made a couple of visits to Oaksey House, and he's hoping that will speed up the healing process. When he first spoke to them, they said between three and four months, but it could well be quicker." That initial three-to-four-month window will be the test for the jockey's planned pivot to a Flat-focused campaign this season.

Ffrench Davis registered five winners from 57 rides last year and has been shifting his career emphasis from jumps to Flat racing this year. A multi-month absence at age 29 and while holding a conditional licence interrupts the momentum he was trying to build on the Flat circuit; trainers and owners at High View Stables will have to adjust ride plans while he recovers.

Call My Bluff's condition after the incident has not been detailed, and the hospital that treated Ffrench Davis has not been named. Immediate next steps for the jockey are physiotherapy and further rehabilitation at Oaksey House, with the aim of returning to competitive riding as soon as the femur heals and the surgical fixation proves stable. For now, his family, the Lambourn yard and connections will monitor recovery timelines that could determine the shape of his 2026 season.