Page 8 - 17 February 2012

The PDJF is a registered 501(c)(3) and currently provides financial aid to some 60 disabled jockeys.
Guest Commentary by Billy Peterson
Ilove the Quarter Horse racing industry. I love it for the excitement, for the hope it instills, and for the horses. I love how they give us everything they have
while never asking for anything in return. I wish my kids would take note. But mostly I love this industry for the people. Quarter Horse racing possesses some of the most compassionate, loyal and hardworking individuals on the planet.
I came from a Quarter Horse family. My dad grew up on a farm with his three brothers. They all roped or ran cutter teams. My mom’s side was heavily involved in rodeo. My uncle Jack Hannum and his boys are pretty well known around a rodeo arena. My sister was the National High School Rodeo Queen in 1987. Quarter Horses and the people involved made all of these things possible.
And for me, I owe the sport of Quarter Horse rac- ing a debt I cannot repay. Winning the All American Futurity was the catalyst that led to so many new opportunities. Nearly 10 years of riding made me appreciate hard work and sacrifice and also how for- tunate I was to retire without any major injuries.
The thrill of blowing away from the gates and of crossing the line in front were great, but now looking back I must say that the real experience came by way of the people I met along the way and the life lessons I learned such as helping those in need.
The quality of the people involved in this sport was exemplified recently by the strong support of seriously injured and all-time greatest jockey Jacky Martin. Many people across the country joined a movement to provide financial assistance. Mr. R.D. Hubbard, Mr. Jim Helzer, Mr. Johnny Trotter and others showed great leadership and got the campaign mobilized.
Similar to this, Cindy Knox recently made a
deal with God himself. She promised God that if
her horse Sumokin won the Black Gold Futurity Championship at Will Rogers Downs, she would donate half of her winnings to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Well, God and Sumokin came through and Cindy, along with her husband Dr. Luke Knox, made good on the promise.
Jacky Martin put the issue of jockey disability on center stage in the Quarter Horse industry because of his fame and accomplishments. Unfortunately there are so many others who also need help.
The PDJF was founded in 2006 by many lead- ers in horse racing with its base of operations in Elmhurst, Illinois. The industry asked Nancy Lasala to join them in setting up this very important fund for these disabled men and women. Her husband
Jerry is a jockey and Nancy couldn’t help but notice the lack of financial assistance and basic insurance coverage available to jockeys. She serves as president for the foundation and oversees almost everything related to the operations of the Fund.
The PDJF is a registered 501(c)(3) and currently provides financial aid to some 60 disabled jockeys. Some notables serving on the board including G.R. Carter, John Velazquez, Will Farish and Bo Derek, to name a few. Everyone involved is extremely dedicated to the cause.
At the time when the PDJF was created the industry established a formula that was to include
all race tracks and horsemen’s groups in the United States. They would contribute via purse values
per racing meet the equivalent of one-tenth of one percent per year. Full participation would translate
to approximately $1 million each year for the PDJF. That amount would provide the funds needed annu- ally to assist their recipients, and would allow the board to focus on additional fundraising activities to grow the PDJF endowment so that one day the PDJF can be self-sustaining as well as be a guaranteed fund- ing mechanism for the men and women it serves.
Over the last six years, there has been a shortfall of approximately 30 percent, as many tracks and groups do not participate. Private donors, as well as fundraising by the PDJF and many others such as the Final Fertilization Golf Tournament hosted by Lazy E Ranch, have been a blessing to meet each year’s financial commitments.
It would be great if we, as a group, could figure
out how to provide career benefits such as insurance, disability and retirement plans to our athletes (jockeys) in the same manner as athletes in other sporting arenas. Until that happens, I encourage you to check out the PDJF (www.pdjf.org) and put it on your list of charities to support. Individuals like you make the difference.
PDJF
The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund
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SPEEDHORSE, February 17, 2012
UNDER WRAPS