Horse Racing Publication Considers Comp Payment Models After Worker 'Screwed' by Non-Payment

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | 0

An exercise rider who worked with racehorse trainer Wayne Potts said she was left "screwed" after being partially crushed in a fall from a horse while Potts was not carrying workers' compensation insurance for his stable.

The rider spoke to racing publication The Paulick Report for an article about how stables can pay for workers' compensation insurance. In the risky profession of horse racing, premiums are high — in the late 1990s and early 2000s, rates were $60 per $100 of payroll in California. The state's horsemen came together to create a self-insurance group after that. 

The injured rider, who spoke to The Paulick Report anonymously, said she was concerned to hear that Potts was fined only $1,500 for going a year without insurance. She said that set a dangerous precedent. 

"He got fined $1,500, which is cheaper than a worker's comp policy, so he got away with not doing things right and it was still cheaper for him,” the rider said. "I don't really understand how this is all going on and there's no repercussions."

Potts is based in Maryland and Delaware. He was issued the fine in Maryland.  

Read the full Paulick Report story here.