Thoroughbred racing is an exciting sport which many people enjoy watching and gambling on. For the jockeys, however, it can be quite dangerous, as they risk their lives each time they mount a racehorse.

The lifestyle in the racing industry is very demanding, as it is common for jockeys to compete in more than 800 races a year, typically riding hundreds of different horses at Caymanas Park.

On race day, horses are paraded in front of many people and with the noise they understandably can get anxious. Jockeys get on these horses, sometimes for the first time in a competitive setting, while the horse might be a nervous wreck. And a horse might begin to buck or bolt before the start of the race.

Panamanian jockey Dick Cardenas, who has won 769 races at Caymanas Park, said that before races he confers with the trainers of the horses that he will ride to learn about their behavior and temperament.

“The first thing is to check your gears to see if they are in good condition, and another thing is to check on the horse to see if it is lame or has any problems, just to be safe in a race,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“When punters start to make noise, the horse [can become] scared, but that is part of the game as we can’t tell them to stop, and so what we can do is try to keep the horse calm and try to relax the horse as much as possible to avoid any accidents,” he said.

Cardenas added: “In the starting gates, you have to be the most patient person alive because any little movement you make, the horse is going to do something. They [the horses] expect that when you move, it’s time to break. It is up to the gate handlers to keep the horses calm in order to have a safe break.”

The most significant risk for a jockey is falling from a horse while travelling at a full speed, often over 40 miles per hour. The most frequent injuries from falls are head trauma, fractured limbs, and spinal injuries.

“Sometimes you see a little opening in the race and you say, ‘Okay, I am going’, but sometimes you realise that you don’t have the space to pass through, and then you have to wait and go outside. For me, I don’t like to call out to other riders because sometimes when you call out to the jockeys, they lock up the space more on you.

“In America, when you call out to the riders, they open and let you through, but not here. Plus, sometimes you are in that spot and see the horses in front of you bouncing [against] each other, and you are there wondering whether they are about to fall or keep going. You have to take a check to say what I am going to do, I keep it here or wide,” explained Cardenas, a former Triple Crown winner.

Phillip Parchment, president of the Jamaica Jockey’s Guild, said that he does call out to other riders during the races, but there is no assurance that the response will be in the jockey’s favour.

“Yes, definitely. I talk to the jockeys during the races. You have to call the other jockey to let them know that you are there. If you call out [to] the jockeys and they believe that they are still in contention, they are not going to let you through, but if they are fading and have no chance of winning, just maybe they might let you through,” said Parchment.

Parchment noted that unlike other sports, jockeys can’t have extra safety measures, as they can’t wear pads or any other equipment to reduce injury risk because it may increase their weight.

“In the sport of horse racing, weight plays a significant role in a horse’s ability to win. “The lighter the horse, the more chances to win, and so we can’t wear other protective gears, and so that is another risk for us,” he said.

Parchment said that another problem jockeys face is that when they fail to ride out their mounts, due to possible lameness during the race, they are called up by the stewards, which will result in a fine or a suspension.

“We are calling a meeting with the stewards to discuss that matter. I think that stewards should give the jockeys the benefit of the doubt because we are up there on the horses and we can tell you what we feel, and those things. If you ride out a lame horse and that horse falls, we are going to fall as well, and we have to protect not only ourselves but the horses as well,” Parchment noted.