HK SEPT 24: HONG KONG HOSTS FOREMOST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF JOCKEY'S WELFARE

By Hong Kong Jockey Club | Thursday, September 24, 2015

The sixth biennial International Conference for Health, Safety & Welfare of Jockeys (I.C.H.S.W.J.), the world’s foremost convocation concerned with jockey well-being, is taking place at Happy Valley Racecourse today and tomorrow.

A total of 47 delegates from 11 countries will attend the conference, which is being held in Hong Kong for the first time. The I.C.H.S.W.J., established under the instigation of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), first convened in Tokyo in 2006 and has since been held in Dubai, Istanbul and the last two times in New Jersey, USA.

The conference brings together racing administrators, medical officers, jockeys’ associations and leading academics for a series of presentations related to current jockey welfare issues.

“It is a pleasure to welcome the conference to Hong Kong as delegates continue their diligent collaboration regarding the well-being of jockeys,” said Mr. Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director, Racing Authority.

“Jockeys are incredibly tuned athletes and as new techniques and research in sport science emerge, these annual meetings become more important to the development of racing’s human participants.

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Mr. Denis Egan, Chairman of the I.C.H.S.W.J. and Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Turf Club, said: “The area of jockeys’ health, safety and welfare is one of great consequence to horseracing and this conference is the most important gathering of experts on the matter.

"As the title suggests, its primary aim is to try to help riders with safety, health and welfare issues, to improve the standards for riders throughout the world, and to improve the standards of care provided to them.

“It is very important that we stage this conference - not only is latest research shared here but the conference also provides a network for the key people from a number of the world’s racing authorities to interact with each other and to exchange thoughts and information on the key issues.

"All the Chief Medical Officers of the main racing authorities are in attendance and past conferences have shown that this convocation does act as a catalyst to improve standards.

“The conference has doubled in size since 2006 and this year we will have more than 30 individual presenters. I am looking forward to the two days - there will be a lot of valuable information shared, which should prove to be very beneficial.”

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Dr. John O’Reilly from The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Department of Sports Science and Physical Education will start proceedings on Thursday morning with a presentation entitled Sports Science and Medical Support Services for Hong Kong Jockeys.

Dr. O’Reilly will report on the effects of a six-month nutritional and physical activity intervention on body composition, quality of life, attitudes towards physical activity and nutrition, and markers for bone health among Hong Kong’s jockeys.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has endorsed and part-financed the important study.

Dr. O’Reilly’s presentation will set the theme for day one; that of sports science research programmes. Also on Thursday’s agenda, experts from Ireland will share their findings in a presentation entitled Sports Science and Medical Support for Irish Jockeys, while the day’s other sessions will include reports on vitamin supplementation, lifestyle habits, diet, and injury and illness surveillance.

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Day two will be focused largely on concussion - the effects of and rehabilitation from - and will look at the latest helmet standards in racing and equestrianism.

Dr. Michael Turner, Medical Director of the International Concussion and Head Injury Research Foundation, and the former Chief Medical Officer to the British Horseracing Authority, will deliver a presentation entitled Concussion and Helmets: The long term effects of concussion - reality or exaggeration.

Friday’s session will also feature reports related to jockeys’ weight - Dr. Graeme L. Close, Dr. James P. Morton and Dr. George Wilson will present Weight Making and Minimum Riding Weights, in which they will share alternative methods of jockey weight management.

The conference will hear country/region specific updates delivered by a representative from each of Britain, Ireland, France, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, USA (Jockeys Guild), South Africa, New Zealand, and OSAF, which promotes racing and breeding in nine Latin/South American countries.

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