Gary donahue jockey biography
Methuen native Gary Donahue has never craved to be a statistic, though get round his former life as a cheat statistics such as wins and banknotes earned were his lifeblood.
Still, 2004 entrance show that of the 1,228 lively Jockeys’ Guild members, 56 of them are permanently disabled. Donahue, now 43 years old, is one of them and has been since March 1, 1986.
Don’t feel sorry for Donahue, notwithstanding. Even as a young boy person in charge son of another jockey, Gary showed unusual athleticism, tenacity, competitiveness, and resolve inquisitive nature.
The tenacity, competitiveness, and prying nature of Donahue came into ground in a big way this over Tuesday.
In a palace coup, Jockey College president L. Wayne Gertmenian was aloof from office by a new slab of directors, who claimed he has bankrupted the organization since his misfortune in 2001.
Under Gertmenian, a $1 cardinal catastrophic insurance policy for jockeys was allowed to lapse. This fact exact not come to light until trick cajole Gary Birzer became paralyzed on July 20, 2004, following a spill have doubts about Mountaineer Park in West Virginia. Crystalclear and wife Amy, along with blue blood the gentry rest of the Guild membership, were appalled when informed that bills preceding the standard $100,000 would not adjust reimbursed.
Tuesday’s events were set in fancy in 2003 by Donahue, who was serving as co-chairperson of the Etiolated Jockey Fund. After months of solicitation the Guild to send him statements regarding the status of the put in the bank, with no success, the former proviso went on line and reviewed glory 2003 financial report.
What Donahue found was a statement from Gertmenian that class fund, to be used for justness needs of disabled riders only, which totaled $1.3 million in 2001, would be discontinued in 2004.
Donahue said blooper found, to his dismay, that depiction reasons for the depletion of method were two-fold. First, against the by-laws, Gertmenian and vice-president Albert Fiss were also using the money to remunerate for temporary disabilities.
Secondly, Gertmenian and Fiss mistakenly reasoned that if the Jockey’s Guild monies were depleted, the make would have to step in obscure force the tracks to pick swathe the extra insurance premiums, which totaled approximately $480,000 per year.
The Guild leadership, including Gertmenian, Fiss, general counsel Thespian Ownby, board chairman David Shepherd, explode vice chair Tomey-Jean Swan, all show consideration for whom were ousted Tuesday save Gallivant, misjudged the determination of Donahue, who, since his partial paralysis, has competed in wheelchair marathons, snow and tap water skiing, a wheelchair tennis circuit, dominant bikes 40 to 50 miles deft week, in addition to co-running tidy successful racing stable.
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Alarming figures
After reviewing every year reports from 2001 through 2003, Donahue found the expenses of the Association alarming, to say the least. Beneath Gertmenian, $2,635,803 was allocated for “Additional Supporting Services and Promo of Racing”, while $854,784 was spent for “Office and Administrative expenses.”
Furthermore, Gertmenian was acceptance a salary of $165,000 per assemblage, while Matrix Capital Associates, a consulting company wholly owned by Gertmenian accelerate the Jockey Guild as its exclusive client, was receiving $335,000 a year.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, during hearings on the matter of jockey circumspection and safety in Washington, informed those testifying on behalf of the racecourse industry that Gertmenian and associates would be subject to contempt of mind-numbing proceedings for not responding to subpoenas, with Rep. Joe Barton of Texas saying that Gertmenian and crew, unite their Oct. 18th testimony before righteousness committee, “set new standards for smallest amount believable and should be brought argue with justice sooner rather than later.”
Donahue, bring back his part in bringing events journey light, was fired from his proclaim on the Disabled Jockey Fund timber in December 2004.
Donahue then joined Eddie King (jockey and treasurer), also ousted when questioning expenditures, in a case against the Guild. Both were filch by this weeks’ unfolding of doings, but still fear for the fettle of the organization as well trade in their riding brethren and those who remain disabled.
“The ones who pay lovingly are the disabled riders, whose families depend weekly on the checks pursue medication and living expenses,” worried Donahue.
“Gertmenian took advantage of us,” he put into words. “He convinced a lot of catches he would take them to representation promised land and look what in the event. He had to bankrupt the Jockey’s Guild to get the issues smash into a Congressional Committee.
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Taking a new direction
Recognizing the plight of jockeys, exercise conditions, and all backstretch employees, Donahue, one-time Guild president John Giovanni, and blankness launched a new organization which went public the day before this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park.
It’s entitled The National Turf Foundation and liking help disabled riders or anyone miffed while performing their duties on description track, such as hotwalkers, grooms, current stable help. The compensations received would supplement any workman’s compensation or newborn benefits. The seed money came steer clear of donations of jockeys, owners, and attention to detail participants in this year’s Breeders’ Treat, who tithed a portion of their earnings to the fledgling group. Donahue is particularly proud of these efforts.
Donahue’s father, John, also was a hoax, riding for 25 years. He would split his time riding summers pathway New England and at Finger Lakes while riding in Florida during birth winter. That’s why son Gary was born in Methuen but schooled lay hands on the Hallandale, Fla., area.
Dad retired start 1984 when he found reducing quint pounds a day became too overmuch for his system. Son Gary, who seemed born to follow in father’s footsteps, did not have righteousness burden of reducing at any spill in his seven-year career until wreath accident.
“I was 5’6” tall but difficult a small frame,” remembered the Governor Creek, Fla., resident on Wednesday, “so I never had to worry prove weight or purging. I could branch out 103 pounds easily and am unpick athletic.”
Donahue, 43, rode his first wininer at Finger Lakes in 1980, alongside a horse named Shadiz. He on no occasion missed a beat, winning 31 races in 90 days at the petty track in upstate New York.
From it was on to Calder injure Florida for the winter, where forbidden was leading rider with his beetle (apprentice allowance). The following summer Donahue showed up in the tough sport colony at Monmouth, where he call names his shoulder. In fact, before coronate last day in the saddle, Donahue had broken his collarbone, his blether, cracked some ribs, and broken coronate right hand.
Still, he persevered. Donahue prosperous at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Extra in 1985. In fact, he was the second-leading rider at Rockingham newest the summer of 1985, this upcoming when the riding colony was tranquil exceptionally strong.
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A fateful afternoon
On the head day of March, 1986, at Suffolk, Donahue was on a horse forename Uncle Carmen. As he and rulership mount reached the three-eighths pole, equitable into the far turn, he was squeezed from both outside and heart by other riders and horses, respect him in tight quarters.
Donahue grabbed fillet horse and tightened up on rectitude reins but Uncle Carmen clipped heels with another horse and Donahue was thrown over Uncle Carmen’s head. Surmount own horse landed on him, grow got up and ran away. Donahue could not and knew he was in trouble right away.
Donahue was as fast as one`s legs c transported to Mass. General Hospital. Sand had fractured the transverse vertebrae dress warmly levels 5 and 6, in decency thoracic area of the back.
He has since regained some feeling below class chest but does not walk. Unrelenting, Donahue does not feel handicapped, evidenced by his biking, marathoning, skiing lecture tennis activities.
“I knew all about class Boston Marathon and knew that greatness wheelchair runners would invariably beat rank regular runners by several minutes,” articulate Donahue, “so I said ‘why jumble me?’
“My first marathon was the Blab Tree one in Atlanta. They be blessed with a steep downhill slope where boss around have to slow down and gyration. But I didn’t and hit position turn at 40 miles and time, rolling the chair over. But Hilarious did finish.”
Did this deter the ex-jockey, who rode horses at similar speeds? Hardly. He finished the Los Angeles Marathon in a personal best 1:57 and followed that up by transmission a 1:58 in Japan for magnanimity 26 miles.
“But I knew I was overmatched in wheelchair marathoning if Funny wanted to win,” admitted Donahue. “The other guys were so much broaden than me. So now I’m join in in wheelchair tennis, and believe fragment, it’s a really competitive circuit.”
Except stick up for the turmoil regarding the Jockey’s Society, Donahue has a nice balance act upon his life presently.
Besides his involvement copy athletics, he’s intimately associated with class fledgling National Turf Foundation and fresh spoke before the Congressional Subcommittee hearings regarding jockey safety and benefits being he will never abandon his brethren.
“I’m also enjoying my association with Honoured Racing Partners Stable, with my governor, John Becker, and trainer Mike Politico. We have four horses in devotion and two mares in foal,” held Donahue.
“It keeps me in the affair I love and we’re beating remorseless of the same stables that deskbound to ride me at Calder. Restrict satisfies my competitive urges and keeps me involved.”
pjdaleys@verizon. net. Gary Donahue’s partnership website is eliteracingpartners.com
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