Plea Just After A Tragic Anniversary

It was just over one year ago that Lil Bit of Rouge broke down and plunged jockey Gary Birzer into paralysis and his family into debt.

He was riding at Mountaineer on the night of July 20th, 2004, just as he had done each Friday through Tuesday for the previous few years. He was a middle of the road jockey at a middle of the road track, bringing home about $40,000 a year after insurance and guild fees. His wife was a horse groom and they were bringing home enough money to support a family of six.
It was not the first time he was bucked from a horse, but it was the last. His fifth and six vertebrae in his neck were crushed and he was completely paralyzed.

And then the news grew bad. His Jockey’s Guild insurance policy had stopped covering on-track accidents nearly two years earlier and his bills were expected to total about a half million dollars (which it has already passed easily). Additionally, Mountaineer’s insurance policy only covered $100,000, the bare minimum required by law. And that was all they were willing to pay.

Now, Mountaineer is a business, but I think they could afford to pony up the money. The most recent numbers available on line state that the original owners of Mountaineer Gaming still own 17.57% of the public company which has averaged a net income of over 50 million dollars a year, of which they receive about nine million. That is a hell load of money. You’d think the track could pony up $500,000.

Yet the track refused to help out one of the men that slaved to keep up its profitability, one of its men that came and rode horses more than 230 days each year to keep Mountaineer’s license to operate the very profitable slot machines. It just let him wither away.

Luckily for Birzer, his fellow jockeys from around the country came to help.

Funds have been set up by the Mountaineer Jockeys raising money for the jockey. Although information regarding how much money has been raised is unavailable, everything and anything is helpful.

Additionally, Gary Stevens had offered 5% of his Breeders’ Cup winnings to Birzer before pulling out of the Breeders’ Cup in Texas due to a non-unlimited insurance policy. Shane Sellers re-retired in light of Birzer’s accident after retiring once before due to being nearly paralyzed in a race. And numerous other jockeys (Stevens included) are refusing to ride races in states where insurance is not unlimited.

But not all tracks have been the bad guys.

Churchill increased insurance from the bare minimum of $100,000 to a much more lofty $1,000,000 while Lone Star increased from that low $100,000 to $500,000 before dropping it back off after the Breeders’ Cup last year. Other tracks are trying to help out their jockeys, even without the luxury and profitability slots bring.

And Mountaineer remains dormant, not even mentioning the accident on their website any more nor giving links to the fund. While the rest of the civilized world is trying to correct this problem, Mountaineer is shying away, letting Birzer rot as the sacrifice he was to the major corporation.

This Sunday, Mountaineer will be showcased on ESPN during its horse racing coverage of the West Virginia Derby, the most prestigious race in the state. Thousands of fans will flock to the track and wager millions of dollars on the race and in the slot parlors, and fourteen jockeys will run on national television knowing that if their horse buckles, they could be ruined for life.

But they’ll work their asses off as slaves to Mountaineer, who’ll reap tremendous profits (17 cents on every dollar wagered plus more for food and admission), which will then not care when they fall at break their necks and become paralyzed.

Why would they? Even with the whole world watching.

And Gary Birzer will be lying down, struggling to pay his medical bills while his wife supports Gary and their four children. At least they got their love.

So go ahead, watch and wager on the West Virginia Derby. I dare you. I’m sure they can survive without your money. But if everyone follows me, then maybe they’ll listen.

Ellis Park listened after the paralysis of Remi Gunn and Turfway listened after the tragic death of Michael Rowland last winter, but Mountaineer ignored all the calls.

So go ahead, watch and wager on the West Virginia Derby. I dare you.

And may Mountaineer burn in hell.