“The life of the jockey has always been difficult, but the recent death of jockeys Avery Whisman and Alex Canchari by suicide have the racing industry asking itself tough questions about why it's so challenging – and who can help,” writes Natalie Voss, editor in chief of the Paulick Report, in her two-part series earlier this week on the mental health challenges facing jockeys.
Obviously, there are physical pressures as well – the dangers from the inevitable falls and the struggles to maintain a low enough weight. For many riders, especially those competing at tracks with lower purse levels, there are financial challenges, too, especially in a game where you lose far more often than you win and even the best riders go through slumps. Add to that the relatively new phenomenon of criticism from fans and horseplayers on social media.
As jockey Ferrin Peterson said, “It's a snowball effect.”
Links to the series:
Part 1: Not A Job, But A Lifestyle
Part 2: 'They're Human Beings, They're Not Machines
In this week's Friday Show, three-time Eclipse Award winner Voss and Remi Bellocq – executive director of BCTC Equine in Lexington, Ky., a program that prepares students for a career in the horse industry as jockeys and other jobs – join publisher Ray Paulick to share their insights on the challenges of one of the sports world's toughest and most dangerous jobs.
Watch this week's episode of The Friday Show below:
The post The Friday Show Presented By The Jockey Club: Mental And Physical Challenges Facing Jockeys appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
