A Givealittle page has been set up by Hailey’s close friend to support his family through the tragedy and help pay for funeral costs.
“A naturally gifted young man with a bright future taken away from us so soon,” the page says.
It has already raised more than $11,000.
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A reporter at the intersection where the Hamilton crash occurred yesterday saw at least 10 police cars at the scene.
“Sadly, the rider of the dirtbike received critical injuries and was transported to hospital where they later died,” police said today.
The police spokesperson said enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
Born and initially raised on the East Coast of the North Island, Hailey said in a previous interview that he has been riding horses since before he can remember, and always had a love for the animal.
In 2023, while in his first season of riding, the then-apprentice jockey won his first race in Cambridge at 16 years old.
Hailey rode 46 winners during his career, with 92 placings in 470 starts.
Hailey told LoveRacing News in 2023 that he enjoyed an idyllic childhood, but soon had to adjust to city life where other sports took precedence over horses for a couple of years.
“We moved to Hamilton when I was eight and I stopped riding for a little bit, I was only riding every now and again,” he said.
Rugby league, touch and boxing became his new loves. However, a chance encounter with trackwork riding rearranged his priorities, and he became intent on a career in the saddle.
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