A Calgary-area horse racing track will no longer allow a jockey to race there after it learned of alleged animal abuse in the man’s past. Animal Justice says Century Downs was “cutting ties” with a Winnipeg jockey who raced at the venue on Oct. 9 after the group brought reports of past horse abuse to its attention. The organization said the offences stem from the jockey’s time at Assiniboia Downs three years ago, where it’s alleged he grabbed a mare named Scarlett’s Flower by the throat, struck her face and whipped the animal with his headgear. CTV News has learned the jockey was charged with animal cruelty in 2023, but those offences were later stayed and the jockey entered a one-year peace bond that allowed him to continue working. Animal Justice informed the Calgary-area racetrack about the man’s history of abuse on Oct. 19, when it obtained video of the 2023 incident and brought it to Century Downs’ attention. When that happened, Animal Justice said the business acted. “It is deeply concerning that an individual with a history of animal abuse was able to move to another jurisdiction and be permitted to work with horses,” said Alexandra Pester, Calgary-based senior staff lawyer at Animal Justice in a news release. “While we’re glad Century Downs acted on the information we provided, the fact that this man could be permitted to work with horses at all shows a troubling gap that needs to be closed.” CTV News Calgary was told the jockey did not race again after the Oct. 9 Century Downs event. Century Downs said the jockey does not work for its organization nor any other racetrack in Alberta.
