Jockeys Battle Against Tough Odds

Life is tough. But if you're a jockey, life is even tougher.

You've got to maintain your weight with just the right amount of muscle and fat to stay healthy; then you've got to get up early every morning to help out with exercising horses (some of which have an attitude problem and are high strung) before you go through as many as ten races; and at the end of the day, if you're hurt, it's your problem and yours alone.

But never fear, the Jockeys' Guild is here!

In May of 2000 the Jockeys' Guild celebrated its 60th anniversary. From its humble beginnings as a kind of secret society amongst jockeys, they have fought over issues such as insurance being offered to all jockeys at every track. And today, it's something that is still being fought over (along with the right to wear advertisements on the jockeys' silks for the big races). Yet, things are very different for jockeys than in the earlier days of racing, when jockeys who were injured could not work, much less pay for their injuries. But jockeys don't just get injured in their line of work - they sometimes are killed.

Case and point is the story of Earl Dew. In a world full of unions for the entire labor force, I commend the jockeys on finally taking action and demanding that their rights not be overlooked. Without their risks, the sport of horse racing would not be. The owners, the breeders, and the trainers are not out on the racetrack during the races. It's just the jockeys and the horses. They climb onto the back of a 1200-pound animal that has a mind of its own, try to control it at breakneck speeds while also maneuvering it at 30-to-40 mph, and they are still sometimes given little respect for their work.

Though in the past, jockeys were forced to develop eating disorders to keep themselves below the average weight, those days are long gone now thanks to the Jockeys' Guild. After just watching what jockeys go through on the big race days, I can't imagine doing the chores, the aches, the pains - not to menion the bills - every single day of my career. Their days begin often as early as 4 a.m. and last until everything is finished. And here I am wishing I didn't have to get up for that 9 a.m. class tomorrow.