Jockey Victor Espinoza Axe Swinging In Mexico Just 6 Months After Near-Death Crash

Legendary jockey Victor Espinoza is a BEAST ... 'cause just six months after nearly dying in a training accident -- the dude was choppin' down a tree in Mexico!!!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the Hall of Famer was severely injured after a horse he was riding went into cardiac arrest on the track on July 22 in Del Mar, California.

Victor nearly died from the fall ... with a chipped bone in his neck almost cutting an artery.

But, we're told Victor's well on the road to recovery -- and his workout while he was visiting family this week in Yucatan clearly proves that.

The dude hacked away at a tree with an axe the size of his body ... and yeah, he looked like his neck's doing just fine.

We're told Victor will be back on a horse January 1 ... and he's actually expected to start racing again in mid-January.