This for Grandpa’s Kid at Belmont Nov 3, according to the Gaming Commission: “horse experienced inoperable colic…euthanized.” He was four years old and had been put to the whip 26 times, most recently Oct 3.
And from last week’s harness rulings:
Kentucky, Nov 3: “Artie Dick is hereby suspended from driving for 30 days for…brutal use of the whip: whipped the horse ‘Cloudbreak’ in an exaggerated manner continuously throughout the race…. Mr. Dick created a negative perception while compromising the integrity of Harness Racing in Kentucky.” That’s right, “brutal use of the whip creates a negative perception” and “compromises the integrity” of Kentucky racing.
Then there is this press release from the Louisiana State Police (edited for brevity):
“On Nov 7, Troopers conducted an investigation following reports of misconduct involving jockey Martin Osuna. The incident occurred at Evangeline Downs. The preliminary investigation revealed that Osuna falsified information on a racing document, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant. Osuna was scheduled to participate in a race at Evangeline and was detained upon his arrival. During a thorough search following his arrest, Troopers discovered five horse shocking devices in Osuna’s possession. Osuna was arrested and booked on filing false public documents, falsifying information on a racing document, injuring public records, and five counts of unnatural stimulation of horses (a practice that is considered unethical and harmful to the animals).”
This is not the first time this scumbag has been busted for electric shockers (aka “buzzers,” “batteries,” “machines”). While reviewing photos in 2016, the Turf Paradise photographer noticed Osuna with one in his hand during a race. Ultimately, Osuna served but a 10-month suspension for that incident. I will provide updates on this latest one.
Osuna, from his booking…
“Integrity of harness racing”?! Gimme a break.
Look at the list of charges against Martin Osuna….not ONE is for cruelty to animals. The “unnatural stimulation” stimulation that is “believed to be harmful,” is not the same thing. The number one charge should have been animal cruelty.
Artie’s last name is certainly appropriate….sorry, couldn’t resist.
The use of the electrical shocking devices on racehorses, known as buzzers in the United States and jiggers in Australia, appears to be quite common in horseracing even though buzzers have been banned.
The Dallas Observer printed a report in 2015 titled “Texas Jockey Roman Chapa’s Use of a Buzzer Unveils a Shocking Practice in Racing” and explains some things about how jockeys earn money.
It appears obvious that jockeys are motivated to use buzzers to get a bigger paycheck.
It’s not too much different than trainers using dope on horses to get more money out of them from forcing them to run on injured limbs and so forth while under the influence of pain killing and performance enhancing substances. It’s clearly a case of being motivated to extract more money out of a horse by routine mistreatment. This abuse is not horsemanship!
If it had not been for the photographer at this racetrack in Texas capturing the image of Roman Chapa, jockey, with a buzzer in his hand while riding a particular horse to the finish line in at least one of the many photographs he took and it being posted on a certain website, Roman Chapa would not have been caught at that particular time. Who knows when, or if, he would have been caught?!
The trainers who employ jockeys with buzzers should also be suspended at the very least. They all should be in jail for Animal Cruelty.
Not only does regulated horse racing need to be banned, but the reality of horses being doped, whipped and shocked with electricity at unregulated racetracks must also be investigated by law enforcement and investigative journalists.
How many people including owners and trainers as well as jockeys are getting away with this horrendous abuse of horses?
There have been other jockeys who have been caught using the small handheld electrical shocking devices on racehorses at both regulated and unregulated racetracks. When they’re caught and suspended at a regulated racetrack, they can go to an unregulated racetrack and “make a living” literally abusing horses wherever those races are held.
How many people will know about these unregulated racetracks and the abuse of horses that goes on there?
I’m glad this person was caught but I suspect there are jockeys who are getting away with this horrendous abuse of horses more often than is reported anywhere and everywhere horses are kept confined to small spaces and forced to be gambling chips.
What was this jockey doing for those 10 months of suspension from abusing horses at a regulated racetrack?
I think it’s a no-brainer that he didn’t go out and get honest work that didn’t involve abusing horses in some way.
I hope he is being held in jail now. What is this jockey allowed to do at this time? Is he allowed to be out on bail or what?
I don’t think this person, or someone like him, is going to be an upstanding example of great character anytime soon.
Is there such a thing as rehabilitation for people who commit such crimes as described above? If so, are there any statistics for success and/or failure?