LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 19.1 percent of U.S. adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year, while 8.4 percent had at least one major depressive episode. Those figures would represent approximately 3.8 people and 1.7 people, respectively, out of a group of 20. At the end of this first week of May – the first week of Mental Health Awareness Month – 20 people will wake up on a day they’ve been honing themselves for their entire lives, rising before dawn, hustling to build business, risking injury, and maintaining peak physical shape, in some cases at a less-than-ideal weight. They’ll spend the day in a room with their competition, not eating much. They’ll walk past a crowd of 150,000, with millions more watching – and ruthlessly opining – on televisions and computer screens around the world. They’ll climb aboard flight animals that outweigh and outmuscle them by nearly a half-ton and will leave thoughts of danger far behind as they’re loaded into claustrophobic steel confines. And then, the gates will open on the Kentucky Derby. For one jockey of 20, a thousand correct split-second moves in that imposing stampede will mean immortality. For 19 others, not so much. “It’s a lot of pressure and a lot of money involved, a lot of the time, from a lot of people – and all of a sudden it’s up to you, and things can unravel pretty quick,” said Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, a co-chairman of The Jockeys’ Guild. “For some people, these are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, so there’s a lot of pressure – not to mention, your whole life, you’ve dreamed of getting to compete in [the Derby], and especially winning it,” Smith continued. “There’s a lot of highs and lows. One minute, you’re the best rider out there, and one time, you make a [split-second] mistake, and all of a sudden, you’re not anymore.” The unrelenting pressure the racing industry places on riders, and supporting their mental wellness in the face of those pressures, has become a national conversation in recent months. The heartbreaking flash points were the suicides of two young riders – Avery Whisman, 23, and Alex Canchari, 29. Their families and friends cited some industry-specific struggles, including keeping their respective weights down to ride, as a factor. Whisman, of Versailles, Ky., died Jan. 11. “I could tell he was upset about fighting his weight so much,” Smith said of his final conversations with Whisman, well before his death. “He was trying to get the weight off – he was a taller young man to start with, and then that leads to other things. When you’re not nourishing your body – it’s a machine that needs that. . . . You’d never know [he struggled]. He was such a kind person. You could tell he was down, but I never thought, in my wildest imagination, that it would have come to that.” Canchari, of Shakopee, Minn., died March 1. “The last years had been very dark for Alex,” his sister, Ashley Canchari, wrote in an excerpt of a public post on her Facebook page on the one-month anniversary of his death. “I, as well as the rest of the family and most of his closest friends, didn’t understand it. I attributed it to his career and the never-ending pressures of the industry. Maybe it’s the head injuries, or the constant flipping, the gambling addiction, or lack of sleep.” In the aftermath of those deaths, the guild and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced that they would spearhead an industry initiative to provide jockeys and riders with mental wellness support and resources. In April, as a step in that initiative, an anonymous mental wellness survey was distributed to jockeys and exercise riders to seek input on their needs for support. The survey, which is entirely confidential and available bilingually, was distributed via email and text. The results are submitted to a third party in FGS Global, an independent research company. The anonymous data will be reviewed by industry stakeholders. :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. “We’re not going to see the details, but we’re going to get the overall picture,” said guild president and CEO Terry Meyocks, who indicated meetings with industry stakeholders will take place in May. One of the voices at that table belongs to Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, a guild co-chairman and also a member of HISA’s racetrack safety committee. Velazquez said the survey is an important “first step” in addressing mental wellness on a macro level. “Obviously, it’s a problem, so we’re looking for some solutions,” Velazquez said. “We’ve got to put something out there to help everyone on the backstretch – jockeys, exercise riders. We have to try to look for a solution, how we can help, because it is a problem. It’s a problem in society no matter what. “We want to put something out there that we can help whoever needs help – that they don’t feel they’re so alone. We all go through tough times, and we all go through some sort of depression or anxiety. If we can help one individual – or two, three, whatever – then I’d be very grateful to get it done.” The survey’s anonymity could be key, some said, in a culture where riders are afraid to show any perceived weakness. Jockeys are independent contractors, constantly hustling to prove they are the best fit for the best mounts to guarantee their income in a sport with no offseason. “That’s the thing with our game, I hate to say,” jockey Joe Talamo said. “You put [personal issues] on the back burner. I’m not saying that’s a good thing. . . . That mental toughness, I think, it’s bred into us. It’s a dog-eat-dog business.” It’s a cruel fact that the year-round work, constant hustling for mounts, and, in some cases, constant struggle to maintain riding weight can only lead to so much success. Even if a jockey is winning major races at a steady clip, the sheer law of numbers means they’re losing the vast majority of the time. “If we win at 20 percent, we’re doing really well,” Smith said. “That means 80 percent of the time, you’re a loser. There’s a lot that comes with that.” Other riders, unprompted, cited virtually the same statistic as a mental challenge. “You’re constantly dealing with losing, even if you’re winning a lot,” Talamo agreed. Living in the social media era can exacerbate that issue. Gone are the days when a jockey’s exploits were mainly witnessed by railbirds. Now, anyone with internet access can watch endless races and replays and weigh in anonymously with impunity, a combination that doesn’t always lead to kindness. “When people are trying to tackle you on TV or social media or something, then it’s not so fun to scroll down Twitter or Instagram and see some people bashing your name left and right,” rider Florent Geroux said. “Perfect example right now – look at LeBron James. Right now, he’s not doing so well in the [National Basketball Association] playoffs, and people are questioning him, and he’s definitely one of the best basketball players ever. . . . So you can only imagine a jockey when things don’t go right for a race.” In addition to the perceived mistakes that draw public criticism, successful riders also must make peace with the knowledge that they are only ever one literal misstep away from disaster – and hoping for some support from that public. The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund – of which Meyocks and Velazquez also are on the board – is an organization that is separate from, but shares many goals with, the guild. The PDJF relies entirely on donations in order to provide financial assistance to jockeys who have suffered catastrophic ontrack injuries and can no longer work as a result. While knowing that physical injury is possible can take a mental toll, some injuries also can lead to mental health problems. Riders are at risk of head injury every time they are thrown from a horse, and repeated concussions can have a cumulative effect. A study released in 2017 by the Journal of the American Medical Association determined that 110 of 111 autopsied brains donated to science by former National Football League players showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head and believed to be responsible for later cognitive impairment, depression, and/or aggression. Extreme examples included Junior Seau, who fatally shot himself in 2012, and Aaron Hernandez, who died by suicide in 2017. In an effort to shed light on the effects of traumatic brain injury, 1/ST Racing, formerly The Stronach Group, designated After the Impact as a charity of choice for one of its signature events, the Pegasus World Cup. After the Impact assists athletes, as well as veterans and first responders, with unseen traumatic injuries. The Jockeys’ Guild became involved with After the Impact through The Stronach Group. “They’ve come and talked at assemblies, and we’ve had a great relationship,” Meyocks said. “They were great, and that opened the door for us.” Former NFL quarterback Eric Hipple, who attempted suicide after his playing career, spoke in December 2017 at The Jockeys’ Guild Assembly on behalf of After the Impact, and the organization has gone on to assist riders and to update the guild on its efforts. Still, for many years, there have been no standard concussion protocols at racetracks, as Thoroughbred racing lacks the central governing body of other high-impact sports like the NFL. Instead, states have their own racing commissions. Under HISA’s safety rules that went into effect last July, jockeys riding at covered tracks must undergo an annual fitness-to-race exam, which includes a baseline concussion test, in the 12 months prior to HISA registration, and every year thereafter. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  Riders struggling with their mental wellness, whatever the cause, may find certain industry resources depending on their racing circuit. Organizations that can provide help include the various track chaplaincies, as well as foundations supporting backstretch workers. One example is the Backstretch Employee Service Team in New York. Smith also mentioned the Winners Foundation, an organization in California that assists racetrack employees troubled by alcohol, drug, or gambling problems as well as mental illnesses. “That’s a big thing for a lot of riders, and anybody on the track,” Smith said. “I have a lot of friends who have gone there and gotten a lot of help from them. We’re fortunate to have that here. Not all racetracks have that. Some of the smaller tracks don’t have” those resources. To fill the gap at tracks lacking resources, Velazquez said a national hotline is being established. The hotline will connect riders with care and resources in their local area that they may not know how to find themselves. “So wherever they are, they can find the help that they need,” Velazquez said. “It’s very new. We’ve had a few meetings already. We’re trying to see where the best places to contact are [so that] wherever they are in the States, that they can contact somebody to get the help that they need. It’s in the works.” Smith, who also endorsed the idea of a hotline for riders, said that meeting those in crisis with appropriate resources when they’re needed is vital. “All of this is just a moment in time – if you could just get to that moment,” Smith said. “Something’s got to change, and it’s going to be for the better. Sometimes, it will get a little worse before it gets better. But it will – as long as someone is there to give them the help and support that they need.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.