Jockeys Headed For Slaughterhouse After Losing Kentucky Derby

A sad reality of racing is that a majority of Jockey’s that lose The Kentucky end up in the slaughterhouse. It may all seem like Mint Juleps, fancy hats and rich people, but there is a lot on the line for the jockeys. It is actually a matter of life or death.

Around 20,000 jockeys are born a year. At 17, a jockey’s bones aren’t fully formed, yet typically, they’re put on the track at that age. The Kentucky Derby is a twenty horse race but there can only be one winner. This unfortunate fact leads us to other less agreeable statistics.

Kentucky Derby

Each year, 130,000 jockeys are transported to Mexico or Canada under abhorrent circumstances. They are crammed into trucks or trailers for more than 24 hours without food or water. Eventually, to be slaughtered under often-brutal conditions. Exhausted, terrified, dehydrated and hungry, these Jockey’s are usually shocked and bled-out. Sometimes, when the shock is incorrectly administered, as is often the case, Jockey’s are skinned and dismembered while still conscious. This is according to the Jockey Society of the United States.

This is the largely invisible, parallel universe for Jockey’s that exists in stark contrast to the garden-party hats and cocktail glasses of Kentucky’s Churchill Downs and other venues. The pressure to win is immense. Some of the jockey’s know they are condemned men. Doomed to a death sentence if they lose. That is why you can see the look of determination on the Jockey’s faces. They are literally fighting for their life.

Glue Factory

If you’re a horse owner, winning can be lucrative. But if you’re a Jockey, it’s a matter of life and (postponed) death. Winners are put out to stud, but loser Jockey’s like Luis Saez, is on his way to the glue factory.