NEWS
Jockeys take the stage to support injured riders
Posted: Saturday, April 17, 2010 2:31 PM
JULIEN LEPAROUX and CHARLIE WOODS
PhotoByZ.com/Keeneland
by Tim Nichols
It was, as jockey Jon Court called it, a time for the riders to show off talents they do not have.
A host of elite jockeys and retired riders entertained a packed Friday night crowd at Keeneland with heartfelt, if slightly off-key, versions of their favorite songs at Riders Up!, the second annual karaoke competition and auction benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).
“It’s been extraordinarily fulfilling,” said Court, who serves as vice president on the PDJF board of directors. “We’ve gotten a lot of support from the East Coast, West Coast, and people abroad. We all continue to do this to better the lives of those who have fallen by the wayside and sacrificed all.”
One of those riders Court was describing was 24-year-old Michael Straight. The apprentice jockey is in a wheelchair because of a spinal injury suffered in a spill on August 26 at Arlington Park. He currently receives treatment at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center in Lexington and works with a Lokomat, a treadmill-type machine that helps people with spinal-cord injuries learn to walk again.
On Friday, Straight, flanked by his twin brother and fellow jockey, Matthew, along with a host of riders, belted out Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ " before an enthusiastic crowd.
“It’s tons of fun just to be able to be up there with those kinds of people,” Michael Straight said. “It brings me back to my old days down here in Kentucky, when I used to be just a jockey and nothing else. Now I’m being part of the PDJF and just being part of this, it’s so much fun just to be on stage with [Matthew]. If it was just me and him on stage, it would’ve been just as cool.”
The PDJF helps provide financial assistance to injured riders and works with both the racing industry and medical research groups to improve safety conditions and reduce catastrophic injuries.
Fundraisers like Riders Up! not only help fund the PDJF, which was incorporated in 2006, but allow the riders to interact with their fans and support the colony of jockeys.
While all of the riders entertained the crowd, a couple jockeys in particular stood out. Jockey Dean Mernagh received the judge’s award after getting a standing ovation for his version of “That’s Life”. Retired jockey Charlie Woods brought down the house with his Rod Stewart impersonation, complete with leopard-print tights, while accompanied by Julien Leparoux and Tony Farina as his backup dancers. Woods won the People’s Choice award for receiving the most donations during his performance.
Most importantly, however, was the family of jockeys supporting their brothers and sisters in the sport.
“Being a rider that has broken his neck three times, all it takes is one of those spills to be disabled,” Garrett Gomez said. “This is a big night for all the riders and hopefully, we can keep it going and provide for the disabled riders.”
To learn more and donate to the PDFJ, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Audrey Harvey, Baltimore, MD on April 18, 2010 at 03:30 PM
I am a horseracing fanatic. I love the game. Just a suggestion 'PDJF'. The next time broadcast it on one of the Horseracing channels. (They can take a turn each year). You will be suprised at the folks who will call in and support this. Fans would love to be included in this endeavor. Peace and Always Love.
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Posted by: Kathy, Victorville, CA on April 18, 2010 at 12:31 PM
What a fantastic evening and what a great way to raise funds for one of many outstanding causes to support those who bring us horseracing. While the horses get most of the attention, it's the people involved both on and around them as well as those "behind the scenes" who make everything come together. Supporting the PDJF is the least we race fans can do.
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