Jockey C. J. McMahon charged with attempted murder

Charles Jantzen “C. J.” McMahon, a promising jockey whose career has sputtered over the past several years, was arrested Saturday in Lafayette, La., and charged with attempted murder, along with illegal drug and weapon possession, according to records from the county sheriff.

McMahon was issued the charges following a traffic stop, according to records of the Lafayette sheriff’s office. The records said that an active warrant had been issued for McMahon’s arrest.

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McMahon, 26, was released after posting an $80,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

McMahon took out his rider’s license in 2011, when he was 16 years old. In both 2015 and 2016, McMahon won more than 200 races and had purse earnings in excess of $3.5 million, but the following year he was suspended by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission after testing positive for methamphetamines and the active ingredient in marijuana.

In 2020, he had 47 wins from 391 starts, with earnings of $1.15 million.

McMahon was most recently riding at Delta Downs in Louisiana. He had been named on mounts at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas for later this week.

McMahon’s agent, Bobby Kelly, did not immediately respond to a phone message.