Immediately after the 3rd race at Prairie Meadows July 16, jockey Daniel Ruiz Amaya was seen “hitting his horse [2-year-old] ‘Marty James’ in the face with the riding crop.” Two days later, a hearing was held, with the stewards relaying the following:
“Path rider Tina Sackett testified that as Amaya was crossing the finish, his horse was trying to buck. As Amaya was pulling his horse up, he then jumped off. The horse stopped and allowed Amaya to walk up to him. Amaya then struck the horse with his crop on the nose and again higher on his head.
“In addition, the BOS have received a written statement from maintenance worker Clark Matzen stating that he saw Amaya get off his horse and hit his horse in the middle of the face with his crop, and heard Tina holler, ‘You can’t do that!'”
So what do you think? After administering two (punitive) whacks on the head, should Amaya, like Amber Cobb before him, ever be allowed around a racehorse – with a whip in his hand, no less – again? Prairie thinks so. In fact, the enablers there didn’t even sideline this animal-abuser for a single day – his “punishment” a mere fine.
We’re incessantly being told that the racers “love” their horses, viewing them as just more children. Question, then, for the PM stewards: If someone snapped a whip across your (human) child’s face, what do you suppose your reaction would be? How many years in prison do you reckon that person would spend? Case closed. Again.
So after Marty James allowed that little putz to approach him, he then gets whacked twice in the face. That’s not discipline, that’s immature anger from someone who has no control over their emotions, demonstrated daily by the way these jockeys kick their mounts in the belly, hit them in the head, and literally beat them down the track. Striking a horse in the face can break bone or even blind him, to say nothing about the psychological effects it has. Of course there’s no mention of WHY the horse was bucking, but I guarantee it was instigated by his rider. And now, how easy do you think he he is to groom around the face, or halter, or bridle? And do you think he’ll let anyone near him if he gets loose again?
Just sick.
The bucking could have had something to do with him being only a baby – two years old – Rebecca.
And the fact these horse have nothing in the way of real training – just get a rider on them and get them running. My cousin used to get OTTB and retrain them, and they didn’t have a clue about anything. It was like starting an untrained horse, but with LOTS of emotional baggage.
Yes, Rebecca – and Amaya’s action (hitting the horse in the face) is evidence of his STUPIDITY, as well – what does he think the horse LEARNED from that? What a moron.
The bucking? – could also be a pain response.
Daniel Ruiz Amaya. Nice Irish name. You import the third world don’t be surprised when the animals take a hit. Go to Mexico sometime and see how they treat their animals. Dogs, cats, horses, burros, cattle. You name it. Race horse jockeys are overwhelmingly coming into the U.S. from the third world. Racing needs to be shut down, but the border needs to be shut down, too. This is only going to get much worse over time.
What he did to the horse was horrific abuse. He should be justifiably charged. What can we do? A fine does not do it! He should be given a significant penalty. What happens to the horse now?
Yes. “What happens to the horse now” is a very good question.
And incidents of cruelty that come to light are indicative of what goes on behind the scene.
Of course “anger management” training will solve everything!!! As is said, a leopard does not change his spots.
These people have short fuses, no regard for the horses, no understanding of how to deal with these animals and never will. They are cruel people. Horses are a mere tool to be used and abused at will with the consent of the business.
The Cobbs, Garcias and Amayas will continue to vent their anger on those at their mercy and
nothing will be done, NOTHING!
Shame on Delaware and the whole business of racing.
Horses should never be whipped across the face. This is abuse. Them ignorant human whom did this should be punished! This is criminal behavior.
It’s too bad the horse didn’t take a nice chunk of that little runts shoulder. But then it would be labeled the horse is an uncontrolled animal.
I have just found out that in the Goodwood Cup this morning,the horse finishing 3rd (Sir Ron Preistly)collapsed after the race and was vanned off. Does anyone have word or know if he is recovered??
Old suspensory injury reemerged. Career ending but not life threatening situation. Apparently he was pulled up after finish line and was sent to vet for evaluation. Thank heaven not a catastrophe.
Since he can no longer race, I wonder what the odds are he’ll end up in racing’s retirement center (i.e the slaughterhouse).
This jockey should be in jail.
Insane. He should get the same punishment if not more as Jeremy Rose. Rose did the same thing and was suspended for 6 months, had to take anger management classes, and pay all vet bills after the horse was checked over. This was last month in June 2008 if I recall.
Anger management classes and a brief suspension are hardly punishment enough for abusing a horse. How about a permanent ban, a butt load of fines, and then jail time.
I will be calling the stewards; Can’t wait to hear what they have to say..The abuse in racing only seems to get worse, Horse racing can’t be reformed. It must go. Period !!!!!!!!!!
They’ll say that whips don’t hurt horses – they’re just used as a guiding tool, though I have no idea what the Hell this little jerk was attempting to accomplish by giving his horse two whacks in the face after the episode was over and the horse allowed himself to be approached.
Awful, but not also surprising! People in the horseracing “sport” are callous and greedy.
This motherfucker jockey should be whipped to death!!!
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
This despicable behavior is ONE example of WHY HORSERACING MUST BE BANNED!!!!!!!!
It’s not horsemanship!!! IT IS ABUSE!!!! A YOUNG HORSE that is too young to be forced to gallop FAST carrying weight AND never given RUDIMENTARY training lessons should not be expected to perform as a strong, healthy, MATURED (AT THE AGE OF SIX-YEARS-OLD) HORSE!!!! This despicable industry is responsible for the ABUSE AND KILLING of racehorses.
Regardless of their race, nationality, place of birth, country of origin, the people in HORSERACING are sadistic, money-grubbing, horse-abusing, degenerate, morally depraved individuals. They ALL should be charged with Animal Cruelty!
Caucasians are responsible for the Thoroughbred horse as a breed, originating in English speaking countries and giving Thoroughbred horseracing the sub-title of “The Sport of Kings” (which of course is totally vomit-worthy!!!!)
#HORSERACINGISANIMALCRUELTY
Wanda,
I did the hunter/jumper horse show circuit back in the 1970’s. My very first horse was a black 3 year old TB filly I purchased right off the track. She was one of the lucky ones as I owned her for her entire life. Most owners and competitors hauled their horses to the events and cleaned their own stalls and groomed and tacked up their own horses up for competition. Then, in the 1980’s, a huge number of people from south of the border started to make their way into the U.S. illegally. Many found positions in the barns of trainers and competitors. Many became stall cleaners and groomers, as well as jockeys. When you hand your horses over to an illegal alien, who can’t speak English but will work cheap, you have completely changed the entire dynamic of the sport and past time. I know it is hard to hear, but not all cultures are the same. In England, equine protection groups were established early on to help eliminate the abuse horses suffered in the cities working out their lives pulling heavily loaded carts and carriages. The first such group was founded all the way back in 1824, the RSPCA. Go down to Mexico and other countries in Central America and the Caribbean. There are some small volunteer groups, but they are not officially sanctioned and there are few laws to protect animals. I stand by what I wrote. You import the third world to ride race horses and you will see more and more of this sort of idiotic behavior, like striking a horse in the head. To that guy it is just a job and the horse is just a nuisance.
As far as Caucasians being somehow evil for the development of the Thoroughbred breed, Caucasians are responsible for most of the “modern” horse breeds that was see today. When three Arabian stallions, the Darley Arabian (1704), the Godolphin Arabian (1729), and the Byerly Turk (1680) were imported into England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries something incredible took place. Horse racing at that time was nothing like the industrial scale industry we see today. Try to locate some artwork by the British painter George Stubbs. His beautiful works, mostly horses and the English countryside, will give you a fairly accurate picture of racing and riding at that time.
Racing should be shut down, not just in the U.S. but all over the world. It was meant for another era and another people. It has definitely gotten worse and worse over time, here in our new “diversity is our strength” country.
I BET THESE COWARDS WOULDN’T DO THAT TO A PERSON WHO WOULD DEFEND THEMSELVES. I HOPE KARMA COMES AFTER THEM WITH A VENGEANCE.
If a human being touches another human being with the tip of the pointing finger WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION, it’s called FOURTH DEGREE ASSAULT.
To whip a horse is ABUSE and VIOLENCE AGAINST HORSES!!!! Anyone that says the whips are used to “encourage” or “motivate” horses deserves to have the crap beat out of them, but it would not be considered legal.
It is such a perversion of the use of the English language (or any language) to use the words “encourage” or “encouragement” or “motivate” or “motivation” in place of the words “ABUSE” or “VIOLENCE AGAINST HORSES” or “ASSAULT” or anything else that resembles the reality of using the WHIP as a means to dominate the horse by inflicting pain and FEAR IN THE HORSE!!!!
To use the WHIP on a racehorse is ABUSING THE HORSE and should be against the law!!!!!
I am sorrowed to believe there were jockeys around with whips in their hands that didn’t step in. Are they, as a whole, really that callous?
Yes
Two witnesses saw Daniel Ruiz Amaya whip his horse on the nose and the head after the race and Amaya was still left unpunished for his act of extreme cruelty. What kind of nonsense is this??? Amaya should not only be banned from ever being near a horse again, but he and his cohorts should be whipped in the face TWICE! NOTHING SHORT OF THIS will make them wake up!