Many would consider jockeying to be a high-risk job. After all, getting thrown off a horse and smashing your face mid-race on the hard turf isn’t exactly the funnest thing you can do. In most cases, such a potentially life-threatening profession would entail a high-reward system to help compensate for the dangers that come with horse racing. However, it seems like jockeys in Oklahoma don’t feel like they’re being taken care of enough by the authorities.

As per the Jockeys’ Guild press release from August 27,  the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma’s decision on minimum mount fees has irked the horse jockeys in the state. According to the Jockey’s Guild, thoroughbred jockeys are still paid the same minimum amount they received in 2010: A meager $75 per mount. “At the time, that was a fair and reasonable mount fee. However, a lot has changed since then, including the increase of the cost of living, as well as other costs being assessed to the Oklahoma Thoroughbred Jockeys,” an official statement on the matter by the Guild notes, highlighting exactly why the mount fee issue is something that warrants a change, given the changes the world has gone through over the last one-and-a-half decade.

The conflict got another stir after the TRAO drew the cards for the September 4 race, slated for Remington Park, without naming the jockeys who would be riding the horses competing in the upcoming race. Furthermore, the Association noted that the information on the cards was subject to change, which we also assume didn’t sit well with the Guild. As has been the long-standing custom, riding assignments were handed out when racing cards were drawn in late August.

The Guild has been urging for a change to the existing rates for quite some time. Meanwhile, the TRAO had proposed to keep the losing mount fees between $90 for races with a purse of less than $25,000 and up to $120 in races worth $100,000 and more. Winning jockeys would go on receiving 10% of the total purse, and 5% for second or third-place finishes. The proposal, they said, was “fair and in line with those in neighboring regions.” However, on August 26, the TRAO announced that they had failed to reach a middle ground on the matter, with the jockeys demanding a minimum losing mount fee of $110.

“First and foremost, the Oklahoma Thoroughbred jockeys have not received an increase in 15 years and have been attempting to reach an agreement for an increase since 2021,” the Guild noted in a press release. They further shed light on how the cost of racing has not only increased for the owners and horsemen, jockeys have been no exception. Naturally, the TRAO’s counter-proposal to increase the minimum mounting fee by $5 and a 4th-place finish incentive didn’t sit well with the jockeys.

“The Oklahoma Thoroughbred Jockeys believe it is only fair and reasonable to be afforded the increase to a minimum of $110 per mount. They are simply asking to be provided with the same scale that has been approved for the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Jockeys,” the Jockey’s Guild posited that their ask wasn’t something out of the ordinary. The Guild went on point out that it and Remington Park has a “longstanding working relationship,” and hoped that an agreement with the TRAO can be reached soon.

9 races with varying purse sizes are slated to take place in Remington Park on September 4. The entries for all the races have been made public, while the jockeys’ names are yet to be disclosed. There’s no doubt that the uncertainty is troublesome. It is also understandable why they feel their claims aren’t something out of the box. Because, after all, the jockeys do a dangerous job.

Jockeys keep putting themselves on the line despite horse racing’s dangers

Just earlier this month, a horrific accident in Del Mar left the fans aghast. During the seventh race at the iconic location, the Joseph Vega-owned Uncrowned King stumbled near the quarter pole when he was being chased down. The horse was transported to the equine hospital and was later humanely euthanized. Jockey Alfredo Bautista was thrown off his saddle from the impact, but managed to walk away without any serious injuries.

In 2011, jockey Raul Mena suffered a brutal accident, leading to 24 broken bones when his horse jumped the rail during a race at Valparaiso Sporting Club Viña del Mar. The jockey, ahead of making an appearance at the Pimlico Racecourse for the 150th Preakness Stakes, recalled how he spent five weeks in a coma after the brutal blow. Doctors even went as far as telling Mena that his racing career was over. However, the Chilean jockey persevered and came back stronger to guide horses to the finishing line once again.

In light of such mind-numbing incidents, it’s only normal that the jockeys ask to be fairly compensated financially for all the risks they take. But the TRAO and the Jockey’s Guild are yet to see eye-to-eye. Who do you think is in the right here? Weigh in on the subject with a comment!