Support
It is our mission to support our injured and ill jockeys in nesessitous circumstances by raising funds to help them recover.
Thanks to your generous donations, the National Jockeys Trust has helped over four hundred jockeys with equipment and resources to assist them and their families during and after their recovery.
Can you imagine having a job where an ambulance has to follow you around? That’s the reality for our jockeys every day. It’s easy to take for granted the risks jockeys take every time they race, and when things go wrong it can be career-ending, and even life-ending in some cases. The National Jockeys Trust aims to support injured and ill jockeys Australia wide. We provide compassion, empathy and financial assistance should jockeys become injured, ill, or tragically lose their lives.
Who Does The National Jockeys Trust Help?
Our goal is to provide funds and other benefits to jockeys, in order to relieve them of their financial difficulties and help them gain stability during times of crisis. Did you know:
- More than a third of Australia’s 860 jockeys are involved in accidents every year
- 89% have had at least one fall during their career that required medical attention
- Each year 40% of jockeys will have a fall that will prevent them from riding for an average of five weeks
- A number of jockeys will suffer permanent disability each year
- Injury, illness or death can cause serious financial hardship to jockeys and their families as they try to cope with medical bills and manage significant loss of income.
- Serious illnesses like cancer, heart disease and kidney disease make up a significant proportion of claims that the Trust assists with.
Who is eligible for support?
Any person, including an apprentice, who holds or has held a jockey licence in Australia. We determine eligibility for support against specific criteria on a case-by-case basis, and this can include:
- Financial and other support for jockeys injured at work
- Financial and other support for jockeys experiencing serious illness requiring extended time off work
- Funeral expenses and other support for the families of deceased jockeys
Doesn’t insurance cover everything?
In some cases, WorkCover can adequately cover the costs associated with recovery from a race fall, if a claim is successfully lodged and approved. However, in many cases jockeys do not receive all the benefits of WorkCover, depending on the legislation in the state where they were injured.