Guild elects new chairman

Tomey Jean Swan, a Quarter Horse rider, has been elected the chairman of the board of the Jockeys' Guild.

In a prepared statement, the Guild said Swan was elected by a unanimous vote of the Guild's executive committee. She replaces Pat Day, who resigned a month ago after the Guild's national manager, John Giovanni, offered his resignation and the Guild's entire staff was fired.

The Guild is now being run by Matrix Capital Associates, a consulting firm headed by Wayne Gertmenian, a Pepperdine University professor. Matrix was brought on at the behest of several executive committee members, including Chris McCarron.

Day cited "strong philosophical differences" with members of the Guild's executive committee as his reason for resigning, and he was followed by fellow committee member Jerry Bailey, who complained that members of the board were not adequately briefed on Matrix's qualifications.

The Guild said in the release that 12 Matrix employees are handling the Guild's administrative matters out of the Guild's Lexington, Ky., office. The release said that Matrix is concentrating on obtaining family health care for Guild members. The Guild's family health-care plan was canceled in April.