PETA Calls for Ban of Violent Jockey Following HUNDREDS of Documented Whipping Violations
Update (February 4, 2026): Jockey Paco Lopez—who was suspended for six months in September by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) for serious whipping violations—won’t stop beating horses. HISA initially banned Lopez after PETA lodged a complaint over Lopez’s brazen violation of horse racing whip rules at a race in August, during which he repeatedly violently struck a horse, lifting his arm high, with his wrist above his helmet, to land harder blows. Over the last four months, PETA documented Lopez committing the same violations hundreds of times at racetracks in Louisiana.
Jockey Paco Lopez Needs to Face Consequences for Whipping Horses
PETA filed a complaint, including multiple photo exhibits, with the Louisiana Racing Commission urging it to revoke Lopez’s license to race in the state—and to investigate why its own stewards failed to notice or take action against Lopez’s clear and numerous whipping infractions.
PETA also sent a letter to Churchill Downs, Inc., asking it to ban Lopez from this year’s Kentucky Derby, disallow 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, particularly the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes on February 14 and the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on March 21.
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 was documented by PETA whipping Chip Honcho in this manner seven times, a violation of Louisiana’s six-strike limit.
Not the First Strike: Lopez Has a History of Whip Violations
Horses have exquisitely sensitive skin that can feel a fly land, but jockeys like Lopez physically punish them to make them run faster. Before his current suspension, Lopez beat horses so many times that he was hit with 22 whip violations since HISA’s Racetrack Safety Program went into effect in July 2022. He has been suspended by HISA at least six other times. If Lopez is allowed to return, there’s no doubt he’ll keep breaking the rules and getting away with it. The only solution is a permanent ban.
Keep reading to learn more about Lopez’s long history of abuse—and what YOU can do to help horses right now.
Originally posted on August 26, 2025:
Lopez Caught Violently Striking Horse in $500,000 Race
Jockey Paco Lopez’s cruelty was on full display AGAIN in Saratoga’s $500,000 Grade 1 Forego Stakes, where he repeatedly violently struck the horse Book’em Danno during the race. In flagrant violation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) whip rules, Lopez lifted his arm high, with his wrist above his helmet, to land harder blows four separate times—yet still walked away with the winning prize money.
In an urgent letter to HISA, PETA noted that Lopez hit Book’em Danno with such force that we received multiple whistleblower calls and emails about the incident. We are urging the board to immediately investigate and penalize Lopez to the fullest extent of its authority.
Lopez’s History of Abuse
The horse racing industry is riddled with injuries, performance-enhancing drugs, fatal breakdowns, and corruption—and Paco Lopez is one of the many bad players with a history of abuse. Lopez has at least 13 violations for excessive whip use, and HISA has suspended him at least six times since 2019—including in 2024, when he harshly struck a horse after a race, a full 20 seconds after crossing the finish line. The incident wasn’t just in violation of horse racing regulations—it apparently broke Pennsylvania state law.
In early 2025, Lopez was already under scrutiny. After being conditionally reinstated by HISA, he quickly racked up three additional whip violations—in each instance by raising his wrist above his helmet to strike a horse.
Horse Racing Regulations Must Be Enforced
Horses used for racing are pushed to sprint at breakneck speeds, often under the threat of whips—and sometimes even illegal electric shocking devices. Not surprisingly, many suffer catastrophic injuries or bleed from the lungs. On average, 24 horses experience fatal breakdowns on U.S. tracks every week, and countless more are cast aside by the industry and face slaughter once they’re no longer considered profitable. Authorities must crack down on abuse.
Take Action for Horses
When given the chance, horses form tight-knit herds, running side by side across open fields and tenderly raising their young. They do not want to be whipped into dangerous sprints for human profit. Please take action for them today:
