Racing Industry has made significant strides in addressing mental health challenges, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith told attendees during a suicide prevention panel at Eastern Kentucky University.
Smith participated remotely in the Sept. 26 session titled “Stigma and Suicide: Breaking the Silence to Save Lives,” offering candid insights as the sole representative from the Thoroughbred industry among mental health professionals.
The veteran jockey detailed the unique pressures facing riders in an environment where showing vulnerability has traditionally been viewed as career-threatening.
“A lot of times it’s a sign of weakness. There’s a lot of money spent on these racehorses. There’s a lot of pressure. The purses are in the millions, at times,” Smith explained. “And if you show any signs of mental health issues or depression, well, it could cost you your job.”
The competitive nature of the sport creates an environment where mental stability is considered essential for success.
“[Owners and trainers] are going to move on to somebody that they feel is more mentally stable,” Smith said. “Although we all go through some sort of mental health issues and depression, no one’s able to admit it, especially in sports and especially in a high-pressure situation like riding a racehorse where every half of a second matters.”
When asked about jockeys who have sought help in the past, Smith noted the professional consequences many faced.
“Those that seek out help basically weren’t riding much anymore,” he said. “You know, we’re self-employed. We’re independent contractors. So if you’re not riding, you’re not making a living.”
The physical demands of maintaining racing weight compound these challenges. “We have to keep our weight at a certain level. So we’re constantly pulling weight,” Smith said. “A lot of us will pull anywhere from four to five to six pounds a day. So that takes wear and tear on your body. Not only physically, but mentally as well.”
Smith challenged the misconception that success insulates individuals from mental health struggles.
“There’s a stigma that just because you’re successful, you don’t have mental health issues or depression,” he said. “Sometimes, some of the most successful people that I’ve met in life, you would think, ‘Why are you depressed? You’ve got a big house, you’ve done well.'”
The racing community has experienced tragic losses to suicide in recent years, including 23-year-old Avery Whisman and 29-year-old Alex Canchari.
“They came from great families and good people,” Smith said, noting that weight management issues and financial pressures were factors in these losses.
In response, the industry has expanded mental health resources significantly.
“Our industry has really stepped up recently and taken mental health to a whole level that I never thought it would go to,” Smith said. “We’ve got a lot going now with the Jockeys’ Guild, HISA [the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority], and the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, which are on most racetracks, and the Winners Foundation here in California.”
The culture within jockeys’ rooms has evolved as well. “This is something we never would have talked about a couple of years ago,” Smith reflected. “Man, we would never talk about [mental health] in the jocks’ room [in the past]. If I was talking to the guy next to me a few years back and he was telling me he had mental issues, I’d be the first one to say that I don’t want to be next to that guy.”
Smith emphasized that mental health support should extend beyond jockeys to include grooms, hotwalkers, and farm workers throughout the industry.
“We all struggle,” Smith concluded, “so we’re hoping that it reaches everyone.”
