La Plata Faces Dispute Over Medical Care for Jockeys and Exercise Riders

Professionals and grooms have demanded private coverage in case of accidents and have declared an indefinite halt to activities; however, the Administration has stated that the current service is all that is available and will call for compulsory arbitration at the provincial Ministry of Labor

By Diego H. Mitagstein

LA PLATA – There is no peace at the Bosque, where, since the government sunk its claws in, more problems have surfaced than moments of glory. Far from its days of splendor, the eucalyptuses today are almost a burden for Argentine horse racing, a source of ongoing conflicts between the provincial greed and the ineptitude of passing officials.

The new-old issue revolves around the health and care of jockeys when they have an accident there, which was highlighted after the fall suffered by apprentice Juan I. Pintos in the eighth race on Sunday. With a fractured hip, among other injuries, he visited three hospitals in Buenos Aires before finding the place where his urgent medical needs were finally attended to.

When on Monday, at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, Francisco Leandro, the leader of the jockeys' standings, confirmed he would no longer race at La Plata until the issue of professional accident care was resolved, the fuse was lit.

By Tuesday, there had already been a mobilization of jockeys, grooms, and other members of the horse racing family to demand from the southern Administration, led by Mariano Cowen, exactly that: a safe place with the necessary medical capacity in case of accidents, which, as is well known, are often serious due to the nature of the sport.

Despite discussions, no agreement was reached, and La Plata issued a statement (poorly written, it must be said...) showing no empathy and almost taking a stance of war.

"Following the decision of jockeys, grooms, and caretakers to take indefinite strike action demanding that medical care in the event of an on-track accident be provided by a private hospital, and the rejection of the option to strengthen communication channels with provincial institutions for swift assistance, Hipódromo de La Plata informs that, in compliance with Article 22 of Law 13.253, accidents are covered by valid insurance policies with Provincia Seguros S.A., covering medical expenses, daily allowances, and death benefits.

"Furthermore, it has no authority to refer cases to private healthcare institutions, and in emergency situations, patients will be transferred to public hospitals in the Province of Buenos Aires."

Therefore, given the rejection of the established rules and the indefinite strike action taken, compulsory arbitration will be requested from the provincial Ministry of Labor."

Literally, the administration said: "This is what you get, if you don’t like it, don’t race." In response to a reasonable claim about health and care, such an answer is utterly unacceptable, almost violent. As things stand, it’s already being said that there will be no races on Thursday as scheduled, and many are questioning why a bidding process hasn’t been organized or why there hasn’t been an effort to fulfill the professionals' request, especially considering the large number of private companies working with the Buenos Aires state, handling cleaning, maintenance, and other duties.

With the situation as it is, the conflict is likely to intensify, and more professionals may join Francisco Leandro's decision. As always, the Buenos Aires government plays on the need, as many jockeys or grooms cannot afford to stop working because they need the money to live, so they have to risk their lives (literally), pray nothing happens to them, and if they do have an accident, hope they are lucky enough not to be left waiting for treatment, as happened to poor Juan I. Pintos... Zero sensitivity in La Plata, where the state doesn't care for you...