Zero-Tolerance Against Domestic Abuse in Horse Racing (Part I)

There is still not a perfect approach and believes differ on domestic violence but it is only the start.

California stewards choose the Santa Anita spring meet in the first part of 2015, to give home to the annual go through of all new rules and regulations regarding horseracing. The race is a big favorite of those who like to bet on sports in the US. A big part of the meeting was spent on how the heat affects riders and their horses and how they could put their best effort into the race without putting themselves and their animals in danger.

• California Horse Racing Board is waning in support
• NFL also suffered backlash from all parties
• The media tends to portray a different image

An investigator of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) made his appearance for the major event. He informed the attendants of a new ruling by the board in order to fight domestic violence. If any jockey is charged with the serious crime of harming their loved ones they will lose their license immediately. The reason behind such harsh action is the success and the great publicity other sports gained from the same decision.

Horse racing authority takes harsh actions

It should come as a surprise to anyone that the CHBR went cold turkey, since sports that have much more influence are fighting against it. There were many who thought it was only a marketing decision and there won’t be any consequences. However the Nascar has proven all the doubters wrong with the case of Kurt Busch. The driver came to suspicion of assaulting his then-girlfriend. A few months later just two days before the start of the season his license was suspended. Just recently the Delaware attorney general’s office decided not to file charges against Busch.

The National Football League’s approach on Ray Rice was often criticized. The famous running back has been filmed by a security camera while beating his fiancé at the time to the ground in an elevator of an Atlantic City casino that gives home to several online casinos in the US. As soon as the tape came to light the NFL suspended Rice for two games and started a thorough investigation regarding the matter. However some thought that there was nothing to investigate since there was evidence proving him guilty.

NFL was criticized

Of course it is a hard decision since suspending a player of a major team like the Baltimore Ravens can be fatal. Not only for the team, but for the fans as well. The associations are walking on thin ice when it comes to choosing how they react to a situation like this. How they appear to the media is everything. For example the 2014 season’s NFL campaign for breast cancer was a huge success. The players were all wearing pink ribbons on their clothing as well as the team logo was added honoring those who are or were fighting the disease.

The media plays a big role

The CHRB’s decision had a lot to do with publicity as well. Following the principle introduced by the Nascar on Busch’s case the association instantly banned Julien Couton from attending races after he was charged with domestic violence. The board did not loosen up on the strong handed decision until all charges were formally dropped and several meetings have been held regarding the case.

Seeing how more and more sport authorities are joining the fight against domestic violence all athletes should expect serious consequences following their actions if they are brought into suspicion with domestic violence. According to gambling news raising attention through sports has always been a great way to make people care. It is not only about the good example that their favorites have to present but the principle of not getting away with it. Hopefully many other sports clubs will follow the California Horse Racing Board, Nascar and all the associations that are already taking domestic violence very seriously.