Giovanni to leave Guild

John Giovanni, the national manager of the Jockeys' Guild, said on Friday that he plans to step down from his position after 14 years at the helm of the riders' organization.

Giovanni, 57, has been a member of the Guild in various capacities for 40 years, first joining as an apprentice rider in 1962. While riding, he was a director of the Guild for 12 years, and after retiring in 1981, he became a regional manager. He was elevated to national manager, an elected and salaried position, in 1987.

"Forty years is a long time," Giovanni said in an interview Friday. "I'm kind of burned-out. I've been doing this a long time, and it's time for me to move on and look for something else."

Giovanni still has 18 months left in his two-year term, but he said he would prefer that the Guild's executive committee find a replacement as quickly as possible, citing upcoming negotiations with the Thoroughbred Racing Association over insurance payments. The Guild's current contract with the TRA expires at the end of 2002.