Do Australian jockeys need more help from the industry?
THIS week we heard the heartbreaking story about Greg Hall’s struggles with alcoholism and how it has affected his life and the lives around him.
The former Melbourne Cup-winning jockey checked himself into rehab after fighting his battle against alcohol for over 15 years, sending shockwaves through the Australian racing community.
Hall hasn’t seen his daughter Cassie for 14 years and has lost contact with his son Nick, who won the 2016 Caulfield Cup aboard Jameka.
“That’s what alcohol does. Alcohol doesn’t just hurt me, it’s the ones around you, that love you and care about you,” Hall said earlier this week.
So where did it all go wrong for Hall and so many other jockeys which have succumb to drugs and alcohol? Are these riders given any guidance throughout their careers and what is being done to make sure we don’t read another sad story of a jockey gone wrong.
The life of a jockey
Being a jockey is a tough occupation and is widely underappreciated by many.
The pressures that come with race day riding, where there is plenty of money at stake, can unnerve even the most seasoned jockeys.
Not only is there stake money for the jockey to think about, but social media has allowed disgruntled punters to share their thoughts and it can get nasty.
The top jockeys constantly talk about not wanting to let punters down because they know what will come if the odds-on favourite gets beaten.
Trying to pin-point the reason why some jockeys struggle under the pressures isn’t easy, but we believe it’s triggered at an early age.
We can’t pretend to know the upbringing of every jockey in Australia, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a rider which hasn’t skipped school to ride track work or attend a race meeting. There’s nothing wrong with starting early, but as most apprentices leave school early, they’re left with limited guidance in an industry that requires a wise head.
Becoming a successful jockey has many stages, but the sudden fame and influx of cash can often derail a talented jockey. The same can be said for the celebrity world where child stars are thrown in the deep end without any knowledge about how to handle the sudden rise in fame and the increase in bank balance.
We’re not painting every jockey with the same brush, far from it in fact, but we want those at risk to be given some sort of guidance. There are apprentice masters that guide a young jockey in the early stages of their careers and there’s no doubting that there are figures in the Australian horse racing scene which help anyone in need, but it’s not good enough.
What would have happened to a jockey like Greg Hall had he been offered free guidance throughout his career? We can only speculate what would have happened as everyone has their own private issues to deal with, but Hall might not be living off a disability pension had he been given help whilst he was in the saddle.
What can be done to help jockeys?
It might seem like a cuddle-like initiative, but offering jockeys help and guidance at any stage of their careers should be standard in Australia.
For starters it’s the second most dangerous job in Australia and with dangerous jobs comes more pressure. The upkeep of staying under weight is another factor which can drive jockeys to drugs and alcohol, but if these jockeys had someone to talk to, it might not be a problem.
Unfortunately we’d need more than two hands to count the amount of jockeys that have been affected by drugs or alcohol. It’s a growing problem in the Australian horse racing industry and there should be something done about it.
Give the jockeys free guidance, regardless of whether they have had issues in the past or not.
It’s not too much to ask for someone who is putting their life on the line to keep the industry going.