Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher has announced an interim plan to provide additional insurance for jockeys and exercise riders at Kentucky horse tracks.
Upset at what they feel is insufficient coverage for catastrophic injuries, jockeys at Churchill Downs last November walked off the job. Currently, the tracks are providing them with $100,000 in coverage, but Gov. Fletcher says that will soon rise to one million dollars.
Fletcher says the insurance policy will remain in place while he appoints a blue ribbon panel to study the workers compensation issue. He wants the panel to report back to him by September 1st.
Representatives of the tracks say there will be no expense to the jockeys, since the tracks are picking up all of the costs of the interim insurance policy.
