Jockeys' Guild withdraws support for NTRA safety accreditation program

The Jockeys’ Guild has withdrawn its support for an accreditation program for racetracks run by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, citing its dissatisfaction with issues related to jockeys’ health, according to a letter the Guild sent to the NTRA.

Guild National Manager Terry Meyocks said in the letter that the guild had been “frustrated” by the lack of progress on issues important to the organization, such as requirements that all accredited tracks employ paramedics, rather than emergency medical technicians, and participate in a database tracking jockey injuries. Meyocks said in the letter that the Guild has been asking the NTRA to put in place the requirements for a year.

“The Guild has lost all confidence in the accreditation process,” Meyocks wrote. “It has become quite evident that the NTRA has not been [an] advocate for the jockeys’ well-being for the past several years.”

The NTRA accreditation program, which is called the Safety and Integrity Alliance, has been in place for nearly 10 years. Under the program, racetracks have to agree to implement dozens of recommended safety and welfare practices. While some tracks do not apply to be accredited because of the cost of the process and the expense of getting their tracks up to code, most major tracks participate. Accreditation lasts for two years.

Over the past two years, the Guild has been increasingly aggressive in pushing for progress on issues important to riders. On Saturday, jockeys who represent the Guild asked to meet with management at the New York Racing Association one hour prior to post to discuss a range of issues, a demand that ended up delaying the start of the card by one hour.

In a statement released late on Tuesday, NTRA president Alex Waldrop said that the Safety and Integrity Alliance has worked with the Guild on a number of issues in the certification process that have contributed to higher safety standards at tracks and said the organization is “frustrated” with the Guild’s decision to withdraw from the process.

“The Jockeys Guild has played an important role in advocating for these improvements, which is why we are frustrated with their decision to disengage from what has been one of the most important safety initiatives undertaken by the industry over the last decade,” Waldrop said. “The industry can accomplish more in the area of safety and integrity by working together rather than separately, which means that the Alliance will continue its efforts to re-engage The Jockeys’ Guild in the future.”

The NTRA is funded by a wide range of racing constituencies. Its primary role is to administer a number of programs important to the racing industry, such as the accreditation program and a program providing discounts from industry suppliers, as well as represent the industry in federal lobbying efforts.

The Guild began pushing racetracks to hire paramedics last year, and the push began to be viewed with more urgency after the death of Jose Flores earlier this year following an accident at Parx racetrack in Philadelphia. Though it was highly unlikely that any on-site medical personnel could have prevented Flores’ death due to the severity of his injuries, the Guild has said that the difference in competencies between paramedics and EMTs could have significant impacts in many other cases of racetrack injuries.

Meyocks said in the letter that the NTRA accreditation code contains language requiring tracks to use a minimum of one paramedic during training hours and two paramedics during live racing. However, Meyocks said that the NTRA has not been enforcing that rule for some accredited tracks. On Saturday morning, New York jockey Jose Lezcano suffered an injury during training hours at Belmont Park, and according to riders there, he was treated by an EMT, not a paramedic.

“We are dismayed to learn that this standard, and possibly others, is being treated merely as a suggestion and has not been required at racetracks,” the letter stated. “To our knowledge, at least one major racing venue and one other racetrack, have not been in compliance with the requirement of the paramedics.”

The accreditation program was implemented following the death of Eight Belles after she ran in the Kentucky Derby. While at the onset it contained a list of requirements for safety conditions ontrack, it has since morphed into a much larger program encompassing wagering integrity and other issues.