New Steering Committee to develop programming to support jockey mental wellness
HISA announces partnerships with HEADCHECK and NovaCare Rehabilitation
August 8, 2023 – At a symposium held last week in Saratoga Springs, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced new initiatives to support the overall wellness of jockeys and riders nationwide. As part of these efforts, HISA announced a partnership with the Jockeys’ Guild to create a Steering Committee which will recommend and help implement programming to support jockey mental wellness.
“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,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “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.”
The newly created Steering Committee will be co-chaired by <a href="https://earleimack.com/">Ambassador Earle Mack</a> and <a href="https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/yuval-neria-phd">Dr. Yuval Neria</a>. Data <a href="https://hisaus.org/news/jockeys-guild-and-hisa-bring-industry-leaders-together-to-host-first-ever-jockey-mental-wellness-symposium">recently collected</a> 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.
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. Dr. Neria is a Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of Trauma and PTSD at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
“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 horse racing 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 the second gathering of industry leaders hosted by HISA and the Jockeys’ Guild to address jockey wellness. During the first meeting, held at Keeneland Race Course in May, the results of the jockey survey were reviewed. In addition to Lazarus, symposium attendees in Saratoga heard from Jockeys’ Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks, HISA National Medical Director Dr. Peter Hester, Racetrack Chaplaincy Executive Director Dan Waits and keynote speaker, retired NFL player Randy Grimes.
Donna Brothers, NBC Sports reporter and retired jockey, hosted the event and masterfully guided the powerful conversations. An important and sometimes raw panel discussion included retired Hall of Fame jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva, jockey Trevor McCarthy, FOX Sports analyst and retired jockey Richard Migliore, FOX Sports analyst and champion horseplayer Jonathon Kinchen and Dr. Neria.
“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.”
At the symposium, HISA also announced two important new partnerships that will allow HISA, racetracks and physicians to more effectively keep riders safe and healthy.
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.
“We’re very excited to be working with an innovative group like HISA,” said Harrison Brown, Co-Founder and CEO of HEADCHECK Health. “Our technology and reporting will ensure racetracks are able to consistently advance their jockey health standards and prevent mismanaged concussions.”
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.
“We are excited to provide convenient and affordable nationwide access for jockey’s to receive annual physical and concussion screenings,” said Matt Ries, an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist with NovaCare in Philadelphia.
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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 <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.jockeysguild.com__;!!KZXpRQ!WlDlkUOXuHCK2mo_34S15fuopDjRmpmGW2XDj1_AzOpUqVjzP3yR7JPs55G7nvxckkuc6Huxj4YctqK1TO8vhg$">www.jockeysguild.com</a> or <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.facebook.com/jockeysguild__;!!KZXpRQ!WlDlkUOXuHCK2mo_34S15fuopDjRmpmGW2XDj1_AzOpUqVjzP3yR7JPs55G7nvxckkuc6Huxj4YctqKOaGOCfg$">www.facebook.com/jockeysguild</a>.
MEDIA CONTACTS
HISA
Mandy Minger
<a href="mailto:mandy.minger@hisaus.org">mandy.minger@hisaus.org</a>
917-846-8804
Jockeys’ Guild
Jennifer Ray
<a href="mailto:jray@jockeysguild.com">jray@jockeysguild.com</a>
859-523-5625