Some people think he should keep his mouth shut but I think this is a story worth telling. I know several parties involved in this story and my husband knew Shane for years when he rode for him. Should make good reading.
I liked that HBO documentary about him from a few years ago. I thought it was a moving portrayal of a guy who realized it was time to stand up and say something.
Jockey weights in the US are unrealistic and unsafe. It’s not like a TB can’t carry more weight safely, exercise riders prove that every day.
JER,
Do you honestly believe putting weights up will make the problem go away? Sure a guy like Shane won’t have problems, but you will have other guys considering becoming jockey’s that will be in the same boat. And while horses carry the weight of an exercise rider everyday, you never reach racing speeds in the morning while galloping. So quite a bit diffrent.
NH jockeys over here are bigger than their flat counterparts and carry more weight. You still have guys reducing to make weights, just bigger guys. I just can’t see a weight rise getting rid of the problem.
Terri
I think it’s great that he’s writing the book. (did you know he had a country album come out a few yrs ago, as well? he can sing!) anyway, as far as the weight issue goes… here’s my take from a jocks point-of-view… true, that raising the weights wont “solve” the problems, however having horses get in at 95-110 lbs is rediculous. We have to be 4 lbs under what the listed weight is, in order to tack it. (that listed weight includes our tack) Anyway, although I agree as long as you raise it, there will still be many riders struggling and trying to pull too much weight to make weight, I still agree that they should at least raise it to a REALISTIC weight, such as 125-130 instead of 110. Heck, look at what the jump jockeys weigh!! I’m pretty fortunate with my weight, but I know what it’s like to battle and have to pull weight, especially when I was a bug, and it’s brutal. Bad enough to pull the weight, much worse to try to work with not only your 1200 lb animal, but maneuver with 12-14 others. The scariest thing is riding with people that DO severely struggle with their weight, and therefore are extremely weak. I’ve seen some ugly things happen because of that. It’s kind of a catch 22, but that’s just my take… (nice link, though, Ericka! thanks!)
[QUOTE=Equilibrium;3023976]
JER,
Do you honestly believe putting weights up will make the problem go away? [/QUOTE]
Nope. Absolutely not.
But it’s a first step towards something. And the weight issue is a complex one – it’s not just about jockeys starving, vomiting, sweating and then going out to operate dangerous machinery. It’s also about the veracity of the scales – jockeys riding over their declared weight (there was a scandal about this in NY a couple of years ago) and the unknowing public betting on those fraudulent statistics.
NH jockeys ride at 140 lbs. That’s a lot different than 110 lbs.
[QUOTE=JER;3023991]
Nope. Absolutely not.
But it’s a first step towards something. And the weight issue is a complex one – it’s not just about jockeys starving, vomiting, sweating and then going out to operate dangerous machinery. It’s also about the veracity of the scales – jockeys riding over their declared weight (there was a scandal about this in NY a couple of years ago) and the unknowing public betting on those fraudulent statistics.
NH jockeys ride at 140 lbs. That’s a lot different than 110 lbs.[/QUOTE]
that scandal was actually over-thrown in court last year. Baez sued NYRA for that, it was a rediculous deal. There was no way those riders were all that weight over in the first place, but then to cross the river that night and ride at the same weights in NJ? hmmm (and I know from personal experience, the clerk in NJ is very strict and always has been. You are not getting away with being 1 ounce over.) It was really a shame and a shock, the charges NYRA tried to file against Baeza. He is such a great guy, and is such a huge part of racing history himself… to disrespect him (and all the jocks, for that matter), was really a bad deal. At least they got it over-thrown.
I for one am looking forward to Shanes book coming out. My husband rode with Shane for several years, I just know him through our Jockey Guild meetings. But both my husband and I have been in recent contact with Shane and told him just how proud we are of him, getting the word out.
I don’t think a lot of off track people even realize just what goes on behind the scenes to be a jockey. I never had to worry about weight being an issue when I rode but my husband did. And many of my fellow jockeys like Shane had to fight their weight constantly.
I think that raising the scale of wieghts to a respectable 125 - 130 would help tremendously. I really do… Reducing, by any means effects the body in some pretty drematic ways. Heaving (vomting) is not only hard on the stomach and esophagus, it robs the body of much needed nutrients and ruins the enamel on the teeth. Diaretics and laxatives are also very hard on the body especially the heart.
The last two years my husband rode he survived on a slim fast shake for breakfast before heading to the track to gallop. Then after galloping, he headed to the gym with me for a two hour work out, then he would have a slim fast shake for lunch. And he like most jockeys that reduce hard would sleep all afternoon then head into the jocks room to sit in the hot box or whirlpool for at least an hour sometimes more. Then ride his races, come home and have a boneless skinless baked chicken breast and some vetables.
How many people could really survive on a diet like that? He was cranky and crabby because he was starving himself as so many jockeys do. And while I understand we chose this occupation as our profession. Jockeys are extreme athletes but they are over worked and underpaid.
I commend Shanes book and hope it gets the great weight debate started again. And I truly hope that something gets done this time. It’s been long overdue.
[QUOTE=QHJockee;3023725]
Some people think he should keep his mouth shut but I think this is a story worth telling. I know several parties involved in this story and my husband knew Shane for years when he rode for him. Should make good reading.
http://freedomsrein.com/index.php?sectionID=1&action=list[/QUOTE]
I’m sympathetic to the weight issue - I used to ride, but well, it was way too hard to make weight and so I moved to other things in racing. And, I know an awful lot of people who did the same thing. Personally, I support the idea of higher weights, but the problem in this case is the way Sellers is going about making his case. The book and the documentary are fine, but making enemies of the racing officials, horseman and even your friends is not the way to garner support for your issue.
And, frankly, some of his arguments for why weights should be increased (I’m not sure if these are his official stance or just what he says in private) are not going to have widespread appeal.
I hope the book generates some cash flow for him, but the people who need to be convinced of the validity of Sellers’ argument have already heard it and are getting to the point they aren’t going to listen to anything else from that source.
I’d take the content with a grain of salt, too.
Hopefully his career as a writer will pan out for him better than his career in the music industry!
I am looking forward to reading this. In general, I agree weights need to be raised (maybe that’s because I could never make weight myself, haha). Although I also plan on taking this book with a grain of salt.
Okay Nashville resident :), what did happen with his music career? I didn’t know him at that time and am kind of curious, but I’m afraid to ask him - as it is I feel like I’m always teetering between being hugged and being punched in the mouth. There’s no telling what story I would get asking some of the other people who know him. 
[QUOTE=SleepyFox;3024415]
Okay Nashville resident :), what did happen with his music career? I didn’t know him at that time and am kind of curious, but I’m afraid to ask him - as it is I feel like I’m always teetering between being hugged and being punched in the mouth. There’s no telling what story I would get asking some of the other people who know him. :)[/QUOTE]
Well, our time in Nashville didn’t overlap. But I do remember hearing the tracks. I would safely say he rides better than he sings. :lol:
Ok, all joking aside, he just suffered the same fate so many others do in this town from my understanding. Happens to nearly everyone who takes a shot at the biz.
I rode with Shane as well when I rode races in Chicago. I have always liked him and will have to try and get the book over here.
I am in no way saying not to raise the weights, I just feel no matter what you raise them to someone will always try to make weight he/she cannot comfortably do. It will always be an issue.
And yes, it wouldn’t kill them to raise them a bit. National Hunt horses carry 140pds but guess what, you have the same amount of jocks starving themselves to make weight too.
Terri
I agree that there will always be jocks going through unhealthy measures to make weight. You will have that in any sport where weight is a concern. Even wrestlers wrestling in 200lb classes resort to unhealthy measures to reduce.
But you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be it healthier for everyone if the weights were raised to 120-130lbs. or more. Very few adults are built to be able to sustain a weight of 110, let alone perform as an athlete!
[QUOTE=Texarkana;3024819]
But you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be it healthier for everyone if the weights were raised to 120-130lbs. or more. Very few adults are built to be able to sustain a weight of 110, let alone perform as an athlete![/QUOTE]
I completely agree with both of these statements.
Raising the weights also opens up the sport to a greater number of superior athletes. I think this would be good for racing.
I think everyone has made some really good comments about Shane Sellers up coming book. I have been in recent contact with Shane and he is planning on using his book to make the public aware of the weight issue. He just like so many of us before have been pleading for years to raise the scale of weights to no avail.
Shane is hoping that the book will raise public awareness on this issue so he can bring it up again to the racing commision and have some support of the racing public. One thing that is hard to do and those of you replying here that are former jockeys can agree with me on, is that you can’t get jockey’s to agree on anything…
This is sad but true and “ALL” you former jockeys out there know it is. I was a guild rep at several of the tracks I raced at and one thing is for certain. When your a Jockey Rep. and your riding colony comes to you with an issue,it’s your job as the rep to go directly to the management or the racing board to get the concern addressed.
What usually ends up happening and this is what happened to Shane, I know because I have been in constant contact with him especially over these past few weeks. He went to the racing board with the weight issue on behalf of the jockeys and they “HUNG HIM OUT TO DRY”…
I know how he feels been there done that. That is why when I moved to the mid-west to race and was aske by our Jockey Guild manager to be a rep I turned it down. I was sick of speaking up for the concerns of my jockey colony only for them to hang me out to dry.
So this is why Shane wrote the book and hopes to make not only the racing public but Joe public aware of the weight issue so he can “Help” his fellow jockeys even though they hung him out to dry, he doesn’t want to see any more lives ruined by the whole dirty secret that is “Reducing” …
His book can be pre ordered from his web site which was posted at the begining of this thread. My husband and I have already preordered ours as have most of our friends.
Hope those of you who have posted here consider buying his book, it will be a very good read.
Thanks for letting me vent…
Barn Brats Horse Themed Glassware
www.cmmbarnbrats.com
[QUOTE=Equus34;3027460]
Shane is hoping that the book will raise public awareness on this issue so he can bring it up again to the racing commision and have some support of the racing public. [/QUOTE]
Does the public really care? It’s not like anyone is forcing anyone to be a jockey. As a cause it’s not really up there with starving kids or cancer.
But, regardless, it’s not the jockeys nor the public that Shane needs to convince - it’s the horsemen. When you get the horsemen saying “yeah, our horses can take more weight, go for it” is when you’ll see change. Until then, everyone is just going to continue to say “if you increase weight, you’ll increase breakdowns and why should we listen to a guy who couldn’t make weight as he got older and is now bitter? Horse and jockey safety isn’t worth it.”
I hope the book brings him some success. But, until he gets some of his other issues together, not too many people are going to be eager to be aligned with him and that isn’t going to help his case.
>>Does the public really care? It’s not like anyone is forcing anyone to be a jockey. As a cause it’s not really up there with starving kids or cancer. <<
I think the general public would care, if you realize that struggling weight & eating disorders are a common problem in all riding sports (if you go to H/J forum, you’ll be able to search many popular threads on this issue).
Also, the spotlight on weight pressures on elite figure skaters & female gymnasts captured the publics imagination to have multiple tv documentaries & best selling books… .not sure if it did much good, though to my untrained eye, both look a bit healthier weights these days! Not many of the general public concerned here could get anywhere close to these weights or sports at that level themselves, but they still cared…
As for 5-10 pounds more weight on horses at top speed causing breakdowns, sigh… come on. Maybe if they are trained carelessly or built on frail twigs for legs, but IMHO that sort needs to be weeded out of our sport if it’s to survive much longer, anyway.
I’m for 125-130 as a standard for jockey’s! I can’t buy the argument that just as many will kill themselves starving to reach this, as there is a much greater population that can meet these weights without so much effort - how many jockey’s is there demand for in this country? At some point, you saturate it - hopefully with healthy, reasonably weighted riders!
Best wishes,
Arcadien
Shanes book isn’t just about the weight issue it’s also about other concerns that face jockey’s every day. Such as no health insurance for them or their familys. Yes if a jockey or exercise rider gets hurt on the track they are covered up to a certain point I think (but don’t quote me on this) it’s $100,000. Trust me an injuried rider can go through that in just a weeks stay at the hospital.
Do you realize that a jockey recieves only $50 in jock mount fee’s unless they run first, second or third? Yep a measly $50 to ride a race horse traveling in speeds up to 40 miles per hour with only a flak jacket and a helmet between them and the ground.
Of that $50, they must pay 25% to their agent, 10% to their vallet, and another $10 per mount to the Jockey’s Guild. Mind you not all jockeys are members of the Jockey Guild. Also no taxes are taken out so a jockey (which are considered self employed) need to make sure that for every mount they ride they put some money aside to pay off Uncle Sam come April 15th.
Shane’s book also addresses these issues as well. He is trying to make not only the public aware of this situation but hopes that making the public more aware will help bring these issue more into the forefront of the Racing Board.
Think about it, Football players, Baseball players just about everyother profesional athlete out there has medical benefits for both themselves and their family. They also recieve disability when they can’t play. Not to mention look at some of the salaries they get. Millions of dollars a year to throw a ball around, plus benefits, and a pretty nice retirement package to boot.
There is no other sport that is as high risk, with “nothing” to show for it or fall back on. No retirement plan, no health coverage, no disability nothing. Do you know how hard it is to get health coverage??? Nearly impossible…
When my husband and I were both riding races we paid for our own health coverage out of our own pockets. And it was very hard to even find a company that would cover us. As soon as they found out we were jockey’s, they would simply say sorry we can’t cover you. When we did finally find a company that would cover us and our daughters we paid over $1,000 a month with a $1,500 deductable.
So Shanes book isn’t just about the great weight debate, there is much more to it than that… More than I think even some of the horsemen realize.
Barn Brats Horse Themed Glassware
www.cmmbarnbrats.com
I think that is an issue that is almost more important than the weight issue. You bring up some excellent points, very well put. Health insurance is something that really should be resolved sooner than later. Do Bull/Bronc Riders have the same problem?
I totally agree that higher weights will just bring bigger guys (and gals) into the jocks room, and the cycle will continue.
What everyone has failed to mention is that along with higher weights, riders will also have their body fat measured… this was discussed when the idea of raising the weights was first introduced… and I can understand they why’s… just not the how’s.
Dont quote me, but from what I’ve understood is that if a rider is under 12% BF, he would not be allowed to ride.
I talked to Randy Romero about this two yrs ago at Keeneland, and it was an interesting conversation.
I’m not sure when they would measure, would it be a day to day thing? Would there be 10 horse fields and only 3 riders? I think it’s a complex thing, and if it’s like anything else in the racing world, it will take a long time to actually see a change come about.
