LARRY'S VIEW - CLUB DOCTOR ISSUE NEEDS A REMEDY

By Larry Cassidy | Friday, November 25, 2011

Larry Cassidy currently has forty-two Group 1 successes behind his name. He is a multiple Premiership winning jockey having taken out three titles in Sydney and one in Brisbane. Larry’s View, the personal blog of this top class rider will appear on horseracingonly.com.au every Friday, workload permitting.

Talk about a frustrating day at the office.

I was not at all happy about the events that transpired at Ipswich on Friday. Punters would have received the simple notification that ‘Larry Cassidy will not be riding today.’ While it is not an unusual occurrence for a rider or riders to be indisposed for a meeting, mostly through illness or injury, the story behind my non-appearance was not caused by any such mundane reason.

I have to take you back about a week in time to explain how the events unfolded that ultimately led me to feel like I was being unceremoniously side-lined by red-tape.

On Wednesday at Doomben I had two rides. It felt like I had pinched a nerve in my lower back. That actually might have stemmed from last Saturday where I wasn’t quite comfortable. I had some work done on my back in-between, but I think riding barrier trials on Tuesday made it flair up again.

Obviously I can’t take the pain-killers I would have liked to have taken because of the stringent drug testing. Like I say I rode Wednesday and it was hurting, so the doctor stood me down.

I was told to get a medical clearance which I know you have to get before you can resume riding. I was unable to get into my doctor, bearing in mind I only really had Thursday in which to do that in order to be able to ride at Ipswich on Friday.

I had an appointment at Physioworks for a sports massage onThursday afternoon, which hurt like hell but certainly helped.

The first appointment my doctor could give me was one o’clock on Friday, which was no use to me if I wanted to ride at Ipswich where the first race went off at the same time as the appointment I was offered. So, that was no good.

By the time the Ipswich meeting came around I felt fine. I could keep my knees straight, bend over, touch the ground with my palms flat.

I arrived at Ipswich. I showed the stewards the form stating the treatment I had received at Physioworks. I had also asked them at Physioworks if there was somebody there who could give me a medical clearance. They said, no there wasn’t.

I thought, well at least I’ll bring the form to show the stewards that I’ve had treatment and I could then exercise for them to show them that I’m fine and seek advice from there.

But that was not good enough, so they stood me down.

They said there was no club doctor in attendance at Ipswich … which I think is ludicrous … and they told me that the paramedics who were at the track were not qualified enough to give me a clearance to ride.

I spoke to the paramedics, who were apologetic about the situation … it was certainly not their fault … and they told me that not only did they not have the authority to give me a clearance to ride, but they also did not have the authority to stand a rider down should somebody be injured during the afternoon.

So where does that leave the jockeys who ride at Ipswich? If I broke my arm at Ipswich does that mean I have to carry on riding because there is no club doctor at the track and the paramedics are powerless to make a decision?

Of course that sounds ridiculous and it absolutely is just that. It wouldn't happen. Faced with an injury or sickness in the riding ranks during the afternoon, my guess is that the stewards will obviously use their own discretionary powers to stand down that rider.

That would just be common-sense, which you would hope would apply in such a situation … yet they were clearly not interested in evaluating my situation prior to the meeting.

It just makes a mockery of the expertise of the paramedics. I mean they are officially there to cope with any riding accident, but if they are not qualified to pass you fit or unfit, what is their standing when it comes to dealing with someone who is bleeding from the mouth and who has punctured lungs?

Of course they are good enough to administer help. The paramedics are great.

The point is if they can be trusted with a life in dire circumstances, surely their power can extend to include the basics so that they can fulfill the role of the club doctor when no club doctor is in attendance.

I didn’t think you could run a race meeting without a club doctor. It is just totally beyond me.

I still have to get a clearance to ride at Eagle Farm on Saturday. I know that is going to be difficult, but there is a club doctor there so I will probably use that doctor.

The funny thing is the stewards have stood me down from riding in races at Ipswich, but they allowed me to ride in a track gallop after the first race. Bevan Laming brought Dr Ichi here for a track gallop and I rode him.

I was stood down as far as riding in races was concerned, but I was allowed to ride in a track gallop! Work that one out?

Look, let me acknowledge something.

The Chief Steward read the rule to me which basically states that a jockey must not present himself to ride without any required clearance from a medical practitioner. That’s the rule, right. I know that.

As I have already stated, I didn’t think you could run a meeting without a club doctor (read medical practitioner) or without somebody being given that authority if no doctor is to be present.

I did everything I could to get an acceptable clearance before arriving at the track. I came up short in that regard, but believed I still had options and adequate time to resolve the situation at the track before the meeting got underway.

That was my mistake, and I know there will be a number of you out there who will be unsympathetic to my cause, but I think clearly the bigger mistake is not having a club doctor present at the Ipswich meetings.

That, and the myriad of questions that point raises, as per the above arguments, is a matter that I feel should be revisited by racing authorities and I strongly urge them to do so.

Till next week,
Larry

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