The Jockey Club will pay for baseline concussion testing for riders

The Jockey Club will pay for baseline concussion testing for any jockey who participates in the organization’s injury database for riders, the organization announced on Wednesday.

The testing will provide data for the normal brain function of a jockey so that the numbers can be compared to brain function if the rider suffers a concussion in a fall, according to Bob Curran, a spokesperson for the Jockey Club. The topic of baseline concussion testing, which is being pursued in other sports as well, arose at a recent riders’ conference in September, though there were concerns over who would pay for the tests.

Several years ago, the Jockey Club launched a project that allows participating jockeys to submit their medical records to a database that can be accessed immediately by first responders to an ontrack accident. Access to the records is considered important for medical personnel to accurately assess a jockey’s condition and any immediate treatments based on the rider’s prior injuries.