Dark Clouds Form Over the Equestrian Community as Horse With a Mere $92,000 in Winnings Races Its Last

Over the years, the equestrian community has grown into a beloved sport witnessed by many. And with their flair and staunch performances in the arena, horses have brought in a major following for the sport as well. However, sometimes tragic incidents at the arenas cause these majestic creatures to face the worst.

Recently, one such incident took place in Monmouth Park, New Jersey. Last month a 6-year-old mare, Jamminji, after suffering a knee injury, was euthanized by the Marmoth Park staff. This arena has gained a reputation for causing many horse deaths and has now added one more tragic incident to its list.

Tragic Death of Jamminji

On June 4, a 6-year-old mare succumbed to death at Monmouth Park. The mare, Jamminji, was a dark brown mare who had participated in the final race of the evening at the park. With a few people on the stand to witness the horror, Jamminji began her $29,000 winnings race. A few minutes into the race, the 6-year-old mare was ready to take the lead in the race as she rode the backstretch of Monmouth Park.

However, suddenly Jamminji collapsed on the arena, throwing his jockey Nik Juarez on the ground as she suffered a disarticulation in her right foreleg, The workers of the park swiftly reached the arena and took Jimmanji 20 yards away while blocking the public’s view as to treat Jamminji. Nevertheless, the mare was not being treated but she was euthanized on the track itself. While addressing this issue in an interview with NJ, the CEO and chairman of Darby Development LLC, Dennis Darzin stated, “Unfortunately, a lot of times you have breakdowns with no way of figuring out what happened. Even if we do everything perfect, you can’t stop breakdowns.”    

The six-year-old Jamminji, who brought in $92,361 in profit in her last 28 days, participated in many places to show her staunch performance, including Arkansas, California, and Arizona. The mare was bought In April for $12,500 by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. The Hall of Famer trainer was banned from many California equestrian arenas for the alleged deaths of multiple horses in 2019.

After Jimmanji’s death, Monmouth Park faced a lot of criticism by the equestrian community, as the mare’s death was the second death in 8 days on the tracks of Monmouth. In the last few years, this arena has witnessed many deaths causing concern for the authorities.

Hike in horse deaths

Before the tragic death of Jamminji, last year 22 thoroughbred horses died at Monmouth Park. With an average of 2.05 horse deaths per start, the death rate at these parks has only seen a hike since last year. Besides, Monmouth, California, and Kentucky have seen a hike in horse deaths in recent years as well. In 2019, 42 horses sadly passed away at Santa Anita, in California, with over 30 deaths happening in just a span of six months. And in May of this year, around 12 more horses were found dead in the five weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby event.

Also read:Tragedy Rocks the Equestrian World After the Sudden Death of a Horse in a Frightening Collision

These high-profile horse deaths have brought more national attention to the horse’s conditions. To promote the welfare of the equestrian communities, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act is introducing new rules, including drug tests for horsemen, to promote safety.

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