The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild have announced an industry initiative to provide jockeys and riders with mental wellness support and resources.
As a critical first step, HISA and the Jockeys' Guild will launch a survey to be sent out to jockeys and exercise riders relating to their mental wellness needs, as well as what resources and support would be most impactful in supporting our sport's valued human athletes. Jockeys throughout the country will be strongly encouraged to participate in the anonymous survey. The results will be reviewed by HISA and the Jockeys' Guild and serve as a starting point for building a framework to effectively use collective resources to address our riders' most important health and safety needs.
“HISA is tasked with regulatory oversight for jockey welfare, and we are delighted to be working collaboratively with the Jockeys' Guild to determine how we can best support the health and safety of riders, including in the critical area of mental wellness,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus.
“Jockeys' well-being, including their health and welfare, is and has been the main priority of the Jockeys' Guild since its inception in 1940,” said Terry Meyocks, President and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild. “Jockeys, as well as the exercise riders and others at the racetrack, have an immense amount of pressure on them both physically and mentally. We are encouraged by the response of HISA to help us prioritize jockey and exercise rider health, and we are hopeful that we will have industry support to address these important issues for the riders and their families.”
“I am excited to work with the Jockeys' Guild on this important initiative,” said HISA National Medical Director Dr. Peter Hester. “HISA is committed to protecting and enhancing the holistic wellbeing of jockeys and riders, including their physical, mental and emotional health.”
An industry-wide stakeholders meeting is also being planned to discuss these important issues and drive collaboration on a national level.
About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority
Established when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law in 2020, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is responsible for drafting and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA was created to implement, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA is comprised of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which is anticipated to go into effect on March 27, 2023.
The Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury. The Program expands veterinary oversight, imposes surface maintenance and testing requirements, enhances jockey safety, regulates riding crop use, and implements voided claim rules, among other important measures.
The ADMC Program will create a centralized testing and results management process and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms will be administered by a new independent agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU will oversee testing, educate stakeholders on the new program, accredit laboratories, investigate potential ADMC violations and prosecute any such violations.
About The Jockeys' Guild
Jockeys' Guild, Inc. is the organization representing professional jockeys in Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing in the United States. It was founded in May 1940 and has approximately 1,050 members, including active, retired and disabled jockeys. The purpose is to protect jockeys, strive to achieve a safer racing environment, obtain improved insurance and other benefits for members and to monitor developments in local, state and federal laws affecting the racing industry, and in particular, the jockeys. For more information about the Guild, visit www.jockeysguild.com or www.facebook.com/jockeysguild
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