The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild today announced the members of the newly formed Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee and Advisory Council. The inaugural meeting of the new groups will take place Tuesday, October 3 at Columbia University in New York City.
The Steering Committee, led by Ambassador Earle Mack, was created with a collective goal of driving research, programming and resources towards jockey mental wellness initiatives. Mack is the founder of the Man O' War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, which has the program mission to scientifically evaluate equine-assisted therapy to help individuals who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dr. Yuval Neria and Dr. Prudence Fisher are co-directors of the Man O' War project and will be instrumental in developing new jockey-specific programs.
The Advisory Group, under direction of HISA National Medical Director Dr. Pete Hester, will hold weekly brainstorming sessions with industry and external experts and report best practices and initiatives to the Steering Committee for next steps and potential full adoption.
“Jockeys are the backbone of Thoroughbred racing, and the formation of this Steering Committee and Advisory Council is a first step in ensuring comprehensive and accessible mental wellness resources for our sport's athletes,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “We are proud to work with the Jockeys' Guild to bring these passionate and thoughtful individuals together to focus on this important issue and drive meaningful progress.”
“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.”
The Steering Committee members include:
- Ambassador Earle Mack, a businessman, philanthropist and former U.S. Ambassador to Finland, has six decades of experience in Thoroughbred racing as a lifelong owner and breeder and is a member of The Jockey Club. Mack is the founder of the Man O' War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, which has the program mission to explore the use of, and scientifically evaluate, equine-assisted therapy to treat/help individuals who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other mental health problems.
- Craig Bandoroff was an apprentice jockey in New Jersey, before suffering a serious injury in a spill. After rehabbing and enrolling in college, Bandoroff worked at Fasig-Tipton auction house and Barry Weisbord's Executive Bloodstock, before starting Denali Stud in 1990. Today Denali Stud is an 800 acre nursery located in Paris, Kentucky. Denali Stud is annually a leading consignor in thoroughbred auctions in Kentucky and Saratoga. Denali Stud has recently completed a succession program, and Bandoroff's son, Conrad, is now the Chief Operating Officer.
- Anthony Bonomo is a native of Brooklyn, New York, and campaigns horses under his Brooklyn Boyz Stable and MeB Stables. In 2017, his colt Always Dreaming won the Kentucky Derby in partnership with Bonomo's longtime friend and partner, Vinnie Viola. Bonomo served as the chairman of the New York Racing Association in the past, during which he headed the Safety Committee which saw a major reduction in horse fatalities during his tenure.
- Donna Brothers was a successful jockey, winning over 1,100 races and retiring in 1998 as the second-leading female jockey in the United States by money earned. She now works as a broadcaster covering horse racing and equestrian sports for NBC Sports.
- Eurico Rosa da Silva is a retired Thoroughbred racing jockey. da Silva retired at the end of the 2019 racing season having won 2,286 races. Six times he was voted the Sovereign Award for Canada's Outstanding Jockey. He received the award for a seventh time in 2019. For his significant contributions to the sport of Thoroughbred racing, da Silva was also the 2021 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.
- Terry Finley is the Founder and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, the largest Thoroughbred partnership management company. The stable reached the pinnacles of American racing as a part owner of 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and campaigned in partnership 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic champion and undefeated Horse of the Year Flightline. Finley graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Terry is a steward of The Jockey Club. He has served on numerous industry boards including the Breeders' Cup, NYTHA, TCA, and the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, which provides scholarships to children of our nation's fallen military members. Finley resides in Bowling Green, KY, with his wife and business partner, Debbie.
- Lisa Lazarus is HISA's Chief Executive Officer and leads the organization's operations, including the implementation of the Racetrack Safety Program and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. With a strong foundation in sports business and law, she brings extensive experience from her roles at organizations like the Fédération Equestre Internationale and the National Football League.
- Terry Meyocks is the President and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild. As a third-generation horseman, he has dedicated his entire life to the Thoroughbred industry, with a career spanning several key roles, including President and Chief Operating Officer of the New York Racing Association.
- Graham Motion was born in Newmarket, England, is a trainer based in Fair Hill, Maryland, and owner of Herringswell Stables. After working for many years for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard and then Jonathan Pease in France, Motion returned to the United States in 1990 and began working for trainer Bernie Bond. Motion took over Bond's stable when he retired. Two of Motion's most successful horses are 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Better Talk Now.
- Gary Palmisano is the Executive Director of Racing at Churchill Downs. Prior to that, he served in multiple roles at Churchill Downs Racetrack, including Director of Race Day Operations, Special Assistant to the Track President, and VIP Player Services Manager. Palmisano started his professional career in racing in Louisiana where he gained experience at Fair Grounds Race Course and with the Louisiana State Racing Commission.
- Dan Waits is a proud Central Kentucky native and the Executive Director of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America. Waits brings a diverse background in pastoral leadership, government service, and business management, all rooted in his academic achievements from Southwest Bible College & Seminary and Eastern Kentucky University.
The Advisory Council members include the following experts:
- Dr. Pete Hester is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery. Dr. Hester currently practices at Lexington Clinic in Lexington, Kentucky, where he serves as the Director of Sports Medicine and Head Team Physician for numerous colleges, high schools and club teams in Kentucky. As National Medical Director for HISA, Dr. Hester focuses on jockey health and welfare, including mitigating risk of injury, securing elite medical care, improving and optimizing health care services, and developing and sourcing affordable medical insurance for these athletes and their families.
- Michael Bingaman is a licensed practicing counselor who currently serves as the Chaplain of Retama Park in Selma, Texas.
- Mindy Coleman has served as counsel for the Jockeys' Guild, Inc. since 2009 and is able to combine her career with her passion for the sport of horse racing. In addition to her work with the Guild, she is on the board for KEEP and spends a significant time volunteering for organizations within the industry, including the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA) presented by Godolphin, and Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA).
- Pat Day is a retired jockey who achieved legendary status in horse racing with an illustrious career spanning over four decades, highlighted by a Kentucky Derby victory and an exceptional 8,803 total wins. Day was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1991.
- Ramon Dominguez is a native of Caracas, Venezuela and a retired Hall of Fame jockey and three-time Eclipse Award winner. During his lauded riding career, Dominguez received numerous awards his top-tier performance, including the Isaac Murphy Award in 2004, but also for his excellent conduct. In 2012, following his fourth straight year as the leading rider in the New York Racing Association circuit, Dominguez was awarded the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, bestowed by his peers for excellent conduct. In 2013, he won the Mike Venezia Award. On June 13, 2013, Dominguez announced his retirement due to head injuries suffered in a fall at Aqueduct Racetrack. His lifetime career wins are 4,985, 160 of which were graded stakes victories, including 44 Grade 1 victories. Dominguez has remained very active in racing, advocating for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), Thoroughbred aftercare, and currently serves as a member of the concussion advisory board for NYIT. Dominguez currently serves as the President of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy.
- Dr. Prudence Fisher is a Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatric Social Work in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Fisher's expertise is in the development, validation and implementation of assessment methods for childhood and adolescent mental health conditions. She is widely acknowledged in the field at large as an expert in assessment issues, and she actively collaborates with investigators both within the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia and at other institutions.
- Jeff Johnston, HISA's Rider Safety & Welfare Manager, draws on a distinguished career representing jockeys and his extensive experience as a jockey himself to enhance rider safety and mental wellness initiatives within the racing industry. Johnston has over 11,000 Thoroughbred races under his belt and a background in equine administration.
- Ann McGovern oversees HISA's Racetrack Safety Program as well as reporting related to its enforcement. McGovern has several decades of experience in horse racing, including racetrack management roles at Remington Park in Oklahoma, Sam Houston Race Park in Texas and Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino in New Mexico. McGovern has served on the National Board of the Race Track Chaplaincy and has been involved in numerous jockey welfare initiatives.
- Dr. Yuval Neria is a Professor of Medical Psychology at the Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Director of the PTSD Research and Treatment Program and the Military Family Wellness Center at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Neria is a co-director of the Man O' War Project.
- Anne Poulson is a strategic advisor to the Man O' War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is a lifelong horsewoman, who practiced law in Washington, D.C., and is a former president of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and former chairman of the Virginia Racing Commission. She has served on numerous non-profit boards and currently serves on several equestrian industry boards, including the NTRA Horse PAC, and the Washington International Horse Show.
About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority
When the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law, it charged the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with drafting and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA is implementing, 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 on July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which went into effect on May 22, 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 includes a centralized testing and results management process and applies uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms are administered by an independent agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU oversees testing, educates stakeholders on the Program, accredits laboratories, investigates potential ADMC violations and prosecutes 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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