After falling from his own horse, quick-thinking jockey Bryan Cooper rushes to save a fellow competitor tangled in his saddle.Getty Images

An Irish jockey saved a fellow competitor from what could have been a serious injury when the pair fell from their horses mid-race.

Racing in Gowran Park in Killarney, Co. Kerry last weekend, Bryan Cooper and Robbie Power both fell while attempting to jump the same fence.

Leaping to his feet to avoid further injury, Cooper quickly noticed that Power had not fallen to the ground but was tangled in his saddle, leaving him perched sideways on the horse as the animal looked to bolt.

Leaving his own horse running towards the finish line, Cooper rushed to Power’s side to calm down his horse and hold him before he could run, potentially dragging Power behind it. Further hands rushed to help them and it took several people to keep the horse still until Power could be freed from his frightening hanging place.

Thanks to his quick thinking despite his own dangerous fall just seconds before, Cooper prevented what could have been a horrible injury for Power.

Cooper, from Tralee in Kerry, has been widely applauded for his quick actions and his spirit of camaraderie, sportsmanship and neighborly care in ensuring that his fellow jockey came to no harm.

"It's amazing how quickly you react when you're in trouble. I knew I was stuck and I got a hold of the reins and was able to pull the horse back towards Bryan. Fair play to him, he reacted very quickly,” Power told The Racing Post.

"The strap on the leather wrapped around my ankle and that's what caught me. It's one of those freak accidents, hopefully it never happens again and luckily a disaster was avoided. I live to tell the tale of it."

Not that his thanks meant anything to Cooper the next day as Power raced past him in another race!