Terry Meyocks

The Jockeys' Guild Education Foundation (JGEF), an initiative dedicated entirely to the educational empowerment of professional jockeys, has been launched through a partnership between the Lavin Family Foundation, Glen Hill Farm, and the Jockeys' Guild. Through scholarships, personalized academic guidance, and practical skills training, JGEF will aim to give jockeys the tools to build financial security and employment opportunities during and after their riding careers. Prior to its official start date of July 1, JGEF will be circulating a survey to jockeys and will be forming focus groups in coordination...

Johnny Velazquez, who has served as Chairman of the Jockeys' Guild for more than 20 years and as Co-Chair with Mike Smith since 2018, will be stepping down from that role, the organization announced Thursday. The members have elected Smith and Javier Castellano as Co-Chairs; Joe Bravo, James Flores, and Julien Leparoux as Co-Vice Chairs; Tyler Gaffalione as Secretary; and Julien Leparoux as Treasurer. In addition, Alex Birzer, James Graham, Rodney Prescott, and Velazquez will serve on the Board of Directors. Velazquez will also remain actively involved with the Guild...

The New York jockey colony refused to ride after Sunday's first race at Aqueduct because of a number of recent problems they have said they were having with NYRA management. The latest incident occurred around the time of the first race when the jockeys learned that NYRA Assistant Clerk of Scales Brian Pochman was told to leave work and go home after he balked at additional duties that NYRA had asked him to do. Pochman was not fired. "I have never seen such disrespect to a jockey colony and the...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Jockeys' Guild, in partnership with the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, co-hosted a mental health roundtable on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the U.S. Capitol. The event brought together jockeys and professional athletes from women's soccer and football to share their personal experiences and highlight both the common and unique mental health challenges they face. "We are committed to keeping the dialogue going on mental health challenges for professional jockeys," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "The more we talk about it, the more jockeys...

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and the Jockeys' Guild agreed to a new scale of mount fees for jockeys who ride at NYRA tracks which will take effect Feb. 1, according to a Wednesday release from the Guild. Under the new fee agreement, jockeys will receive a minimum of a $125 losing mount fee for races at all NYRA racetracks as well as a $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more. This scale also includes a 4th place incentive. "We have come to...

Edited Press Release At the conclusion of the first day of the International Jockey Concussion, Safety and Wellness Conference, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), in collaboration with Jockeys' Guild, announced that they are launching a major initiative to support jockey well-being. As announced by HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus and Jockeys' Guild President Terry Meyocks, HISA and the Guild have established a groundbreaking partnership with Onrise, a leading athlete-specific mental health company, to provide jockeys with easily accessible mental health care in their primary language. As part of HISA...

For most of the sport's history the mental well-being of jockeys was not something that anybody talked about or even thought about. But the problem could no longer be ignored when, in 2023, two jockeys, Alex Canchari and Avery Whisman, took their own lives. They were otherwise young and healthy, but the pressures of being a jockey was a burden both, apparently, could not handle. They were not alone. Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks said that 230 jockeys were surveyed last year and asked about their mental health....

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and the Jockeys' Guild will co-host the International Jockey Concussion, Safety, and Wellness Conference from Oct. 9-11 at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Lexington. The event will serve as a forum for exploring ways to address critical mental wellness, concussion, and medical issues affecting Thoroughbred jockeys and participants in other equestrian sports. "Ensuring that our athletes have access to the best resources and protocols for concussion management and overall wellness is not just a priority for HISA, but a fundamental responsibility," said HISA CEO...

The Jockeys' Guild has reached an agreement with the Kentucky HBPA and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association on a mount fee increase effective Nov. 29, which is opening day of the Turfway Park Holiday meet, the organization said in a release Wednesday. The mount fee schedule calls for a minimum fee of $125 at all Kentucky racetracks, including Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs and Turfway Park. This agreement also provides for $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more. "On behalf of our members who...

Officials at the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild have announced that members of the newly formed Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee and Advisory Council have been appointed. An inaugural meeting of the new groups will take place Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Columbia University in New York City. The Steering Committee, led by Ambassador Earle Mack, was created with a collective goal of driving research, programming, and resources towards jockey mental wellness initiatives. The steering committee members are as follows: Ambassador Earle Mack; Denali Stud's Craig...

Veteran jockey Junior Alvarado has been named the winner of the 2023 Mike Venezia Memorial Award. Alvarado, based this summer at Saratoga Race Course and the regular rider of GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish, was chosen by a committee comprised of members of the Venezia family, representatives of the Jockeys' Guild and retired Eclipse Award-winning jockey Richard Migliore. Alvarado will be recognized in a winner's circle ceremony at Saratoga Saturday. "The Venezia Memorial Award is about representing the sport we love so much in the best way...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild have announced that they have created a Steering Committee to recommend and develop programming in support of the mental health and wellness of jockeys. The announcement comes on the heels of a symposium held last week in Saratoga. The Steering Committee will be co-chaired by Ambassador Earle Mack, a businessman, philanthropist, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and Thoroughbred owner and breeder, and Dr. Yuval Neria, a professor of Clinical Medical Psychology at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of...