Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1573

Tonight's special guest is Cathy Passmore Lindberg from Leesburg, Virginia, a child abuse survivor and author of the autobiographical book, "Jockey Daughter." Cathy and her siblings were victims of child abuse at the hands of their mother, but Cathy's story is unique, because her father, William Passmore, was a famous horse jockey for many decades. "My father," she says, "is one of the most respected horsemen in America." In fact, much of her extended family was involved in horses and horse racing. But, she goes on, "While my father was busy from dawn to dusk with the race horses, our mother was doing her best beating her children into submission and thus producing the picture of familial "perfection." She hid her mental illness which only came out behind closed doors." This juxtaposition of a dark hidden family life outside of the celebratory, picture-perfect sports spotlight is detailed in Cathy's new memoir, "Jockey Daughter," written under the pen name Tracey Cooper. In the book she shares a poignant, firsthand look at the personal side of horse racing and the secreted physical abuse that happens in so many families regardless of their economic status. For Cathy and her brothers and sisters the abuse was a hushed secret, and no one, except for a few, attempted to stop it. They endured their mother's unbelievable anger, resentment, and negative energy until they were able to leave. In Cathy's home, the abusive events were oddly intertwined with the very public aspect of the professional sport of kings and the sheer excitement and magnitude of the horse racing industry. We wecomed Cathy to the NAASCA family!.