Gary Birzer:  Perseverance 

By Jayme LaRocca

 

As a Jockeys and Jeans Committee Member and liaison to the Fallen Riders, I’ll be writing periodically about some of the jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Each one had a life-changing event, whether from a spinal cord injury or head trauma. Their on-track accidents happened in a split second and now some of the very basic things they took for granted are gone.

My first story will be on Gary Birzer. I had the opportunity to speak with him recently about his accident and his participation in the upcoming Jockeys and Jeans Charity Event, June 23rd, at Canterbury Park.

 

Gary Birzer
Gary Birzer is a quadriplegic from injuries he sustained to his neck and spinal cord from an on-track accident in 2004 at Mountaineer Race Track. He’s now paralyzed from the chest down. Gary says, “I don’t remember much about the accident”. He was riding Lil Bit of Rouge when the horse fell near the ½ mile pole throwing the then 27-year-old jockey to the ground. Now confined to a wheelchair, he continues doing physical therapy to get stronger. Gary says, “It’s really hard to do the therapy with the severe pain I have”.

Gary was born in Hutchinson, Kansas, in a horse racing family. When he was 2, the family moved to Arkansas where he would grow up. His brother Alex is a veteran jockey. Gary rode his first race at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska, at the age of 21. He had a successful career riding at various racetracks around the country, but he eventually settled at Mountaineer Race Track where he could ride year-round. Gary says, “I still miss being around horse racing, it’s in your blood”.

Gary will be one of the honorees at the Jockeys and Jeans Charity Event to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). This year’s event will be held at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, on June 23rd. He’s looking forward to the event where his kids and other family members will be in attendance. Gary says, “I’m so grateful for the PDJF, they help me pay for medical supplies and my everyday living expenses from the monthly stipend I receive from them”. “Without the PDJF, I would be in a world of hurt”.

For more information on the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, visit www.pdjf.org

For more information on Jockeys and Jeans, visit www.jockeysandjeans.com

(Gary with his 10-year-old son Nathan)

 

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