injured jockeys

Noted Kentucky horseman Craig Bandoroff will receive the Uphill Push Award and speak at the 10th annual fundraiser for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) to be held at Gulfstream Park Jan. 11th, according to a press release from the Jockeys and Jeans organization. Each year the award is given to the person who provides the most meaningful help to the 60 jockeys who suffered career-ending injuries. In December of 1974, Bandoroff was the leading apprentice jockey at Monmouth Park and Garden State Park. In a race his mount bolted...

The 12th annual jockey karaoke contest held July 25 in Saratoga Springs raised over $140,000 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) and the second half of the event is scheduled for next Sunday, Aug. 11 at Del Mar, the non-profit said in a release on Thursday. The competition between the jockeys at the Spa included judges Jayson Werth and Father Jim Sichko. Famed track announcer Tom Durkin once again served as emcee. Sponsors who made the event possible included 1/ST Bet, Godolphin, Donegal Racing, NYRA, Centennial Farms, Michael Imperio,...

The 12th annual 'Riders Up!' jockey karaoke contest, benefitting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), returns on Sunday, July 28 at Vapor Night Club in Saratoga Springs, the non-profit said in a Thursday press release. As in previous years, the Saratoga contest will be part of the Battle of East-vs-West with the Del Mar event being held on Aug. 11. Famed track announcer Tom Durkin returns as emcee, and this year's judges include Donna Brothers, Marisa Jacques, Mark Mulholland and Father Jim Sichko. Click here for more information.

The 8th Annual Jockeys and Jeans Great American Stallion Season auction to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) begins with a preview day, Monday, Jan. 8 at 9:00 a.m. EST on Equiring. The sale starts on that same website Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 9:00 a.m. EST and ends Thursday, Jan. 12 at 8:00 p.m. EST, the organization said in a release Thursday. This year nine major Kentucky Thoroughbred breeding farms and individual owners are expected to gift seasons along with donors across nine states. "This season sale is truly...

The ninth annual Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas June 24 to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) set a record of over $400,000, the organization said in a release Thursday. The previous record was $340,000 last year at Churchill Downs. To-date, the total raised by the group is $3.1 million, including the $110,000 accepted during the 2022 stallion season sale. "It is impossible to sufficiently thank all the staff who at the beginning promised to 'Vegas-Size' the event," said Jockeys and Jeans President Barry...

Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino is playing host to a fundraiser for recently injured riders 19-year-old Bryce Bourdieu and 21-year-old Joree Scriver. The pair will be presented checks by SPRC Simulcast Coordinator and Chaplaincy representative Rayeanne Holland Saturday, Apr. 1, the racetrack's final Saturday of the season. Raffle prizes included VIP packages at Sunland Park, a Professional Bull Riding event, the Ruidoso Jockey Club and Del Mar Racetrack, as well as a $2,000 saddle, a $1,000 pallet of horse feed and $3,500 custom boots by Mario Garcia. Raffle tickets are...

Irish Injured Jockeys has introduced a mental health app called Leafyard that provides tools, activities, and support to help all jockeys with any general mental health concerns. Research commissioned by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in 2019 and 2020 found that injured jockeys were 46 times more likely to meet the criteria for depression than non-injured jockeys and reported higher levels of dissatisfaction associated with meeting the criteria for distress and generalised anxiety. Ruby Walsh, former champion jockey and chairman of the Irish Injured Jockeys, said, "I suppose I wasn't...

Jockeys and Jeans, in conjunction with Uncle Louie G's Italian Ices, an onsite Gulfstream Park vendor, raised over $22,000 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Saturday March 13 through sales of the masked Irad Ortiz bobbleheads at the track and online. Ortiz personally signed hundreds of the bobbleheads there, and Klaravich Stables, whose colors the bobblehead wears, made a substantial donation. "To say this promotion was a success would be an understatement," said Jockey and Jeans President Barry Pearl. "Irad Ortiz is not only a champion rider but a first-class...