The press release was issued in advance of a panel discussion at Tuesday's Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) in Tucson titled “Embracing Change: Are We Ready to Adopt Category 1 Rules In the US?”

The Guild also noted that it plans to “voice opposition” to proposed modifications to that standard that will be up for discussion during the Association of Racing Commissioners International Model Rules Committee meeting Dec. 7.

“While considering this decision, the Guild considered the safety of both the human and equine athletes, as well as fairness for all parties involved,” the release stated. “The Category 2 method provides Stewards with the authority to disqualify a horse if, in their opinion, it interfered with other horses, regardless of whether the interference was accidental, willful, or the result of careless riding.

“Based on experience, the Guild believes that Category 2 provides for some additional safety protections for the riders,” the release continued. “By giving the Stewards the ability to disqualify the horse which has caused the interference, regardless of where the horse finished, it will serve as a deterrent to unsafe riding.

“We, as an industry, have a responsibility to assure safety for both the horses and the jockeys. It is unreasonable to create a racing environment that is potentially going to lead to more hazardous riding styles,” the release stated.

“Additionally, with regards to the fairness of such rules, while Category 1 often protects 'the best horse,' Category 2 rules enable strong advocacy on behalf of all horses and jockeys who suffered interference,” the release stated.

“This is achieved by ensuring that the interferer is placed behind all of the horses who suffered the interference, both directly and indirectly. Using this method provides a safeguard against horses having their finishing position compromised as a result of the interference, and in turn, provides a fairer playing field to all participants, as opposed to just the 'best horse'…

“It should be noted, with the exception of Oklahoma, no other racing jurisdiction in the United States has adopted Category 1 method,” the Guild's release stated.

A pre-symposium summary of the RTIP panel discussion stated that “The conflict of equity and fairness versus heightened consistency in decisions is the heart of the conundrum that surrounds the disqualification policies between Categories 1 and 2.

“While most international racing jurisdictions have shifted away from Category 2, which requires the demotion of a horse for consequential interference if the sufferer of the interference loses a placing, North America remains reluctant to embrace this global approach which only demotes horses when the sufferer would have beaten the interferer.

“In the age of the growing global wagering market, it is imperative for our racing companies to revisit this issue as our domestic bettors have already embraced such practices at events like Ascot, and our new international customers are already accepting of Category 1 disqualification policies,” the RTIP summarized prior to its panel discussion.

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The mount fee schedule calls for a minimum fee of $125 at all Kentucky racetracks, including Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs and Turfway Park. This agreement also provides for $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more.

“On behalf of our members who ride in Kentucky, I would like to thank the Kentucky HBPA and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association for working with the Guild to reach this agreement,” said Terry Meyocks, President and CEO of Jockeys' Guild. “Special thanks to Senator Damon Thayer, for his assistance in reaching this agreement. Without his support, it would not have been accomplished.”

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's Rules Committee passed Oct. 4 a unanimous motion recommending this scale to the full commission for consideration and anticipated approval. Once approved, the proposed amendment to the administrative regulation will be filed with the Legislative Research Commission to follow the rule making process and allow for written and public comment. The agreements with the Kentucky HBPA and the KTA will remain in effect until the regulation has been formally adopted, which will likely be next year.

“I was pleased to advocate for a pay increase for the jockeys,” said Sen. Damon Thayer, Majority Leader of the Kentucky Senate. “Those who risk their lives every day at our tracks should be paid a fee commensurate with Kentucky's position of having the top purses in North America. In particular, I would like to thank trainer Dale Romans as a leader in the KHBPA, for facilitating in reaching the agreement and to Commissioner Charlie O'Connor for his role at the Commission in moving forward with the adoption of the new regulation.”

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The steering committee members are as follows: Ambassador Earle Mack; Denali Stud's Craig Bandoroff; former NYRA chairman Anthony Bonomo; retired jockey and broadcaster Donna Brothers; retired jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva; West Point Thoroughbreds's Terry Finley; HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus; Terry Meyocks, President and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild; trainer Graham Motion; Churchill Downs's executive director of racing, Gary Palmisano; and the executive director for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, Dan Waits.

The Advisory Group, under direction of HISA National Medical Director Dr. Pete Hester, will hold weekly brainstorming sessions with industry and external experts before reporting best practices and initiatives to the Steering Committee for next steps and potential full adoption.

The advisory council are as follows: Dr. Pete Hester; Michael Bingman; Mindy Coleman; Pat Day; Ramon Dominguez; Dr. Prudence Fisher; Jeff Johnston; Ann McGovern; Dr. Yuval Neria; and Anne Poulson.

“The Jockeys' Guild appreciates all of the input and interest by industry participants to address jockeys' mental health and wellness,” said Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks. “The Guild has long advocated for the industry to recognize the stress and everyday challenges jockeys face.  The Guild looks forward to working with the Steering and Advisory Committees to develop programs which will demonstrate that we as an industry are able to support not only the jockeys but their family members as well and eventually all others in our industry.”

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“The Venezia Memorial Award is about representing the sport we love so much in the best way possible,” said Alvarado. “I am thankful and proud to be chosen as this year's winner and I look forward to celebrating with my family and thanking the Venezia family here at Saratoga Race Course.”

The Mike Venezia Memorial Award is presented annually by the New York Racing Association to a jockey who displays the extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship that personified Venezia, who died as the result of injuries suffered in a spill in 1988. Venezia, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., won more than 2,300 races during his 25-year career.

“Junior is a true professional at what he does, both as a top jockey and as a role model,” said Terry Meyocks, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jockeys' Guild. “The winners of the Venezia Award are ambassadors for Thoroughbred racing; they're champions on and off the track. We welcome Junior to the ranks of those who have previously been honored with the Venezia Award.”

A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela and the son of jockey Rafael Alvarado, Junior Alvarado, 37, rode his first winner in 2005 at La Rinconada Hippodrome in Caracas before moving to the U.S. in 2007 when he rode his first winner at Gulfstream Park. After earning the 2009 riding title at Arlington Park, Alvarado moved to New York in 2010 and he has been a mainstay on the circuit ever since, winning the 2014 GI Whitney S. on Moreno and racking up more than 1,400 wins and more than $106 million in earnings at the NYRA tracks. For his career, Alvarado has more than 2,000 wins and more than $126.9 million in earnings.

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The Steering Committee will be co-chaired by Ambassador Earle Mack, a businessman, philanthropist, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and Thoroughbred owner and breeder, and Dr. Yuval Neria, a professor of Clinical Medical Psychology at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of Trauma and PTSD at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Data recently collected by a HISA and Jockeys' Guild-commissioned survey, as well as other independent research, will be used to develop specific guidelines to better support and protect rider mental wellness.

“We salute HISA and the Jockeys' Guild for initiating this very important dialogue regarding the mental health and welfare of our beloved jockeys,” said Mack. “Despite my decades of experience in the industry, I was not fully aware of the mental health challenges our professional riders experience until today. Raising awareness is critical, but taking concrete steps to seek out and implement effective solutions for our riders' mental health concerns is imperative–not tomorrow, but today. Jockeys give their all to our horses every time they step on to the track. Let's afford them the care they deserve in return.”

“Jockeys in the exhilarating and sometimes dangerous sport of horseracing are repeatedly exposed to stress and trauma,” said Dr. Neria. “Physical injuries and concussions, coupled with hunger and lack of nutrients associated with weight management, place the rider at high risk for severe mental health problems, including depression, PTSD and addictions.”

Dr. Neria suggested that the industry work towards establishing a national evaluation and treatment center that can comprehensively address these very real and concerning issues.

Last week's symposium was hosted by retired jockey and noted TV personality Donna Brothers who led a panel discussion that included Eurico Rosa da Silva, jockey Trevor McCarthy and FOX Sports'/NYRA's Richard Migliore in addition to Dr. Neria. Attendees also heard from HISA CEO Lisa Lazarua and Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks.

“The Jockeys' Guild appreciates all of the input and interest by industry participants to address jockeys' mental health and wellness,” said Meyocks. “The Guild has long advocated for the industry to recognize the stress and everyday challenges jockeys face. The Guild looks forward to partnering with HISA in the formation of the Steering Committee to develop recommendations and programs which will demonstrate that we as an industry are able to support not only the jockeys but their family members as well and eventually all others in our industry.”

Added Lazarus: “As Thoroughbred racing's national safety regulator, HISA is deeply committed to safeguarding the mental and physical wellbeing of jockeys and riders across the country. We owe it to these athletes, who dedicate so much of their time and talent to racing, to do everything we can to support them– including by mitigating mental stress factors as well as the risk of injury and chronic health issues.”

HISA will work with HEADCHECK Health, a digital concussion protocol management platform, to allow racetrack personnel to use data-driven insights to improve the care they provide riders with a suspected concussion. Through the HEADCHECK platform, riders will gain access to a new, secure system to store their medical records, which will be easily available to physicians in an emergency.

HISA also announced a partnership with NovaCare Rehabilitation, a nationwide physical therapy network with nearly 2,000 outpatient physical therapy centers and more than 7,000 licensed therapists. NovaCare will provide jockeys with routine physicals and baseline concussion examinations at a discounted price nationwide.

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The event was organized after a similar discussion conducted in May at Keeneland shared the results of a survey of 230 jockeys that revealed that, among other findings, a third of jockeys had faced challenges in their daily lives over the past month due to feelings of sadness, anxiety and depression. The survey also reported that the jockeys' biggest pressures included making weight, the pressure to win and not making a livable wage.

The meeting at Keeneland was a wake-up call for many of its attendees, so much so for Dan Waits, the Executive Director of the Race Track Chaplaincy, that he initiated an immediate plan for all of his chaplains across the country to go through a suicide prevention training called QPR.

Waits was one of several speakers at this week's symposium in Saratoga hoping to spread awareness and make a difference in the lives of jockeys. Emceed by Donna Brothers, the event hosted nearly 100 attendees including riders like Johnny Velazquez, Javier Castellano, Junior Alvarado, Jose Ortiz, Kendrick Carmouche and Luis Saez, plus retired jockeys Angel Cordero Jr. and Ramon Dominguez.

Randy Grimes, a former NFL player and an addiction recovery advocate, was the keynote speaker while a panel featured former jockeys Richard Migliore and Eurico Da Silva and current jockey Trevor McCarthy, as well as racing analyst and podcast host Jonathon Kinchen and Dr. Yuval Neria, the co-director of the Man O'War Project–which explores the use of equine-assisted therapy to help individuals suffering from mental health problems.

Throughout the afternoon, the conversation was open and at times deeply personal as participants discussed the lives of jockeys, leading Dr. Neria to remark that he was amazed at the presenters' willingness to share and believed it to be “a moment of paradigm shift” for the sport.

Several topics regarding the difficulties athletes experience were brought up by both Grimes and the panel. Chief among those issues was the struggle to share what they were going through with others.

Grimes described how he played his last two years of professional football in a complete blackout and referenced how at the time, he believed self-medication was “a necessary evil” every athlete participated in, but that he was “suffering in silence” because his teammates never discussed exactly how they were able to push past injuries in order to remain on the playing field.

Migliore echoed a similar experience during his time riding.

“There is kind of an unspoken thing in the jocks' room–don't show weakness,” he said. “You play hurt. If you're in a slump, you don't talk about the slump because that will perpetuate the slump.”

Fellow jockey Da Silva shared how he had been ashamed to seek help when he was dealing with depression and anxiety. He began going to therapy early in his career, but when he moved his tack to Canada, he did not go to therapy for over a year because he was afraid others at the racetrack would find out about his struggles.

In his In The Money podcast, Jonathon Kinchen dedicated an episode earlier this year to discussing these challenges jockeys experience and bringing mental health problems to the limelight (find the podcast here).

“If you hear the conversation, that's when you'll start asking for help,” he said. “If someone that [a jockey] looks up to says that they struggle, then when [the jockey] struggles, they won't feel isolated and maybe they'll find the help they're looking for.”

Kinchen also addressed the negative impacts that criticism, particularly negative feedback on social media, can have on jockeys.

“The number one thing is that you're not alone,” Migliore said when prompted to give advice to the jockeys in the room. “I think all riders battle through those type of things throughout their career, but the more you isolate, in your mind the harder it is to overcome the things you're dealing with because now you're alone. The more you seal off and keep people at arm's length, the harder it's going to be to pull out of it. It doesn't make you weak for getting help or asking for help or bringing it out into the light. You're even stronger for that.”

Near the conclusion of the program, the families of two young jockeys that died earlier this year from suicide gave heartfelt messages to the program's participants. Ashley Canchari, sister of Alex Canchari who passed away in March, and Lyman and Dr. Salli Whisman, the parents of Avery Whisman who died two months earlier, both shared how it had been meaningful to listen to the panel open up about some of the struggles that their loved one had also dealt with.

Dr. Whisman talked about how, following the passing of her son, the Whisman family had posed the question of how the racing industry may have contributed to Avery's mental health issues. Months later, she received a call from Dr. Peter Hester, HISA's medical director, about how HISA was working on plans to improve upon the resources available to jockeys.

“It surprised me,” she said. “I didn't expect to hear that HISA had been working on this. Avery had been in their minds and their hearts and their eyesight and that one simple curated comment that we thought the industry needed to look at this had taken some root. There had been work done. It wasn't going to be dropped or left alone and it wasn't up to us to make sure that something was done.”

During the 'Q and A' portion of the event, attendees expressed how easy access to resources like mental health professionals and nutritionists would benefit jockeys, especially because many cannot afford these resources themselves.

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus reported that HISA is working with the Jockeys' Guild to address these ideas.

“We have some of the initial components in place,” she said. “We want to make the commitment that there will be outcomes and there are a number of things that we are looking at around nutrition, therapy, and financial education.”

Lazarus also announced two new initiatives by HISA that are set to launch in conjunction with the Jockeys' Guild.

The first, HeadCheck Health, will provide a concussion management platform for jockeys.

“The platform is designed to improve the management and care of riders with a concussion or suspected concussion,” Lazarus explained. “HeadCheck will also provide a secure HIPAA-compliant system for jockeys to store medical records and make them easily available to physicians should an emergency arise.”

The second new initiative is a partnership with the healthcare company Novacare. Lazarus explained that HISA has been working with Novacare for the last six months to identify trained medical staff at locations closest to each racetrack to provide HISA-required healthcare services to jockeys.

“Jockeys can now go to any one of these locations, get an athlete physical and complete a concussion baseline during one appointment at a discounted price,” she reported. “Novacare has also set up a phone number for jockeys to call, in English and Spanish, that will help schedule appointments at the closest racetrack. “

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Retired NFL player Randy Grimes, who advocates for appropriate and accessible mental wellness and addiction-related resources for professional athletes, gave the keynote address, and retired jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva, who penned the book “Riding for Freedom,” also spoke on his lifelong struggles with mental wellness and addiction and his goal of helping others, particularly other jockeys, overcome similar difficulties off the track.

Additionally, FGS Global shared the results of an anonymous survey of 230 jockeys recently conducted to evaluate mental wellness needs and determine what kinds of resources and support services would be most impactful.

The survey found:
• 10% of jockeys describe their mental health as “poor”
• A third have had challenges in their daily lives over the past month due to feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety.
• 93% are concerned about financial stability and providing for their families

Also, lack of financial security, making weight, the pressure to win and lack of a livable wage were among the biggest pressures the jockeys said they faced, with barriers to seeking help being the fear of losing work and a general stigma around asking for support.

“The Jockeys' Guild appreciates all of the jockeys who took the time to complete the survey,” Terry Meyocks, Jockeys' Guild President and CEO said. “The number of responses just reiterates the importance of mental health and wellness for our athletes. We also appreciate all of the input and interest by industry participants in this first step in addressing jockeys' mental health. It is a very complex topic and it is necessary to have discussions like today on the best way to move forward. The ultimate goal is that we as an industry will be able to support and find solutions for, not only the jockeys, but everyone in our industry.”

Potential resources that respondents expressed the most interest in to help address their challenges included nutritional support services to help safely maintain weight, access to a sports psychologist, career transition resources for retirement and personal finance assistance.

“HISA's responsibility to oversee safety in racing certainly includes the mental wellbeing of its athletes,” Lisa Lazarus, HISA's CEO, said. “The results of this survey serve as a reminder of the many challenges jockeys face. We are grateful to all the jockeys who shared their experiences and feedback, all of which will be crucial in our efforts to advance the wellbeing of current and future riders across the country.”

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In addition to text and email, other individuals and organizations will be reaching out to jockeys riding across the United States to assist them in taking the survey.

Only completely anonymous, combined data finding will be shared and the final 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 riders' most important health and safety needs.

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Johnston will also closely support the new jockey mental wellness initiative HISA announced this week in partnership with the Jockeys' Guild and will work alongside Dr. Peter Hester, HISA's National Medical Director, to enhance rider access to mental health support and resources.

Johnston will report to HISA's Director of Racetrack Safety Ann McGovern.

“We are pleased to have Jeff join us to lead our efforts to work collaboratively with jockeys and riders to ensure their health, safety and overall well-being through our Racetrack Safety Program,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “Jeff's many years of experience with the Jockeys' Guild and his perspective as a jockey himself will be invaluable to HISA as we continue to increase communications and collaboration with racing participants across the country.”

Johnston began racing as a jockey in 1985, competing in more than 11,000 Thoroughbred races and amassing 1,375 victories before transitioning to a career with the Jockeys' Guild in 2006, where he most recently served as Regional Manager.

“As a longtime advocate for rider safety, I am eager to get to work advancing HISA's goal of improving safety for riders nationwide,” said Johnston. “I look forward to using my experience to help ensure that riders are safe on and off the track, that they are familiar with HISA's rules and how these changes affect them, and that they are outfitted with the best safety equipment possible.”

Accredited as a steward by the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP), Johnston also previously served as Chairman of the Jockey Club's Rider and Driver Safety Committee. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville's Equine Industry Program.

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“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.

Terry Meyocks, President and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild, added, “Jockeys' well-being, including their health and welfare, is and has been the main priority of the Jockeys' Guild since its inception in 1940. 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.”

HISA is also in the process of planning an industry stakeholders meeting, “to discuss these important issues and drive collaboration on a national level,” according to a HISA release.

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