Disgraced Jockey Paco Lopez Caught Violating Louisiana’s Whipping Rules Over 100 Times; PETA Wants License Pulled

For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

New Orleans –

Jockey Paco Lopez—who was suspended for six months in September by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) for serious whipping violations—has been documented by PETA committing the same violations hundreds of times in the last four months on Louisiana racetracks, raising his arm far above his helmet to violently crack down on the horse he was riding. PETA this morning filed a formal complaint, including multiple photo exhibits, with the Louisiana Racing Commission, asking that it move quickly to revoke Lopez’s license to race in the state—and investigate why its own stewards failed to notice or take action against Lopez’s clear and numerous whipping infractions.

PETA also sent a letter this morning to Churchill Downs, Inc., asking it to ban Lopez from this year’s Kentucky Derby, wipe out the previous Kentucky Derby points earned on the horse Chip Honcho, and declare any horses ridden by Lopez in future Kentucky Derby–qualifying races ineligible for points, including the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes on February 14 and the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on March 21.

*Paco Lopez, centered, violently whips Disco Ball at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on January 29, his wrist above his helmet—a violation of Louisiana racing rules.*

Although Louisiana is not covered by HISA, its state regulation on whipping is consistent with HISA’s. PETA has documented Lopez raising his hand above his helmet and bringing the whip down with violent force in violation of this rule in the stretch drive of nearly every race in which he has been in contention. And in the Lecomte Stakes, a Kentucky Derby–qualifying race, Lopez whipped Chip Honcho in this manner seven times, a violation of Louisiana’s six-strike limit.

“Paco Lopez’s contempt for regulations—and for the horses—is on full display virtually every time he races, and the stewards are either incompetent or purposely looking the other way,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “The Louisiana Racing Commission and Churchill Downs should ban Lopez from their tracks because that is apparently the only way to stop him from beating horses.”

Before his current suspension, Lopez was hit with 22 whip violations since HISA’s Racetrack Safety Program went into effect in July 2022, and has been suspended by HISA multiple times—including for harshly striking a horse a full 20 seconds after crossing the finish line, as punishment.

Horses have exquisitely sensitive skin that can feel a fly land, but in the racing industry, they are physically punished to make them run faster.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.