Jockeys wear white armbands at Churchill Downs to honor late exercise rider Callie Witt
Friday’s Kentucky Oaks marks one week since the death of Callie Witt, and the jockeys at Churchill Downs honored the 20-year-old exercise rider whom they considered family.
“We were just like ‘what can we do to show everyone our support, especially right now?'” rider Isabella Leslie said. “There wasn’t really just one particular person who came up with it. It was just a group of us that wanted to know how could we show our support and love for Callie and her family.”
In recognition of Witt — who died after being thrown off a 2-year-old horse at Keeneland on April 29 — riders wore white armbands during their workouts Thursday morning and they’re hoping spectators will also