Amid Deafening Silence From Track Officials, Stewards Announce New Guidelines After $45 Million Worth Equestrian’s Gnarly Fall

The California Horse Racing Board stewards were forced to give an explanation for their action after the July 23 incident at Del Mar. The incident brought on major backlash from the equestrian community, who were astounded by their lackadaisical attitude towards protocol. Even the famous jockey involved in the accident was perplexed by the stewards’ actions and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

Abel Cedillo sustained a neck injury at the Del Mar race course after his mount, Get the Gold, tumbled on the track. The accident took place shortly after the duo shot out of the starting gate. Cedillo flew off the horse’s back and fractured the bone in his neck. The gate crew at Del Mar removed him from the tracks and allowed the race to go on. Now the CHRB stewards have explained the reasons for their action and also put forward new guidelines for rider safety.

CHRB stewards address the controversy

As per the reports on the steward’s minutes published by the Board, there was a miscommunication between them and the paramedics. Apparently, the emergency medical staff had arrived at Del Mar quite soon but had failed to reach Cedillo on the tracks in time. Therefore, the race crew carried the Guatemalan jockey into the winner’s circle. This decision did not sit well with Cedillo, who protested, “They shouldn’t have touched me. They should have stopped the race”. Steward Luis Jauregui had used the radio to ask the paramedics if Cedillo could be moved, but got no answers.

The stewards said they would have stopped the race if the medics had told them that Cedillo should remain on the track. According to Paulick Report, “A second radio call was made with the same request with no response”. The stewards could see the medics open the rear doors of the ambulance and they waited for them to come and rescue Cedillo. The pack of equestrian riders had already crossed the 3/4 pole.

The stewards decided that if the riders reached the 3 1/2 pole, they would discontinue the race. The stewards made a third call but again got no answers. In the meantime, the crew had already removed Cedillo from the track. The stewards had not issued any directive to do so and later admitted their lack of preparedness for the race.

CHRB stewards unveil insights into the equestrian incident

The stewards decided to allow the race to continue because there was no impediment of any kind. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club launched an investigation into the incident, and the stewards had to explain themselves. In this meeting, both steward Luis Jauregui and steward David Nuesch admitted the need for “continuing education for the assistant starters/clockers/outriders”. During the meeting, the stewards shared their concerns, and the association gave them the necessary guidelines.

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Both stewards acknowledged their lack of preparation for the meet, citing technical problems with their video feed. Several other pieces of equipment had also malfunctioned on the day, making their work even more challenging. The equestrian community remains unconvinced and demands more robust protocols for rider safety.

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