@Scout: Actually, the Breeders' Cup was the first time Zenyatta went up against male horses, and she's only raced outside California once.
Rachel Alexandra, on the other hand, has raced against colts twice, and older male horses once. She placed first all three times, including becoming the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 85 years, and first ever female horse to win the Woodward Stakes. She didn't race in the Breeders' Cup because she doesn't race on synthetic turf. #zenyatta
@shoroko: Well, more like her owner is still doing a war dance because his over-the-top Curlin lost on the synthetic track last year...Rachel has raced and won on synth. I think once the freshness of this thrill wears off a bit, we can all go back and compare them more objectively. Rachel had a hell of a season. #zenyatta
@shoroko: and I meant "race" not "record"...it should have read: "Zenyatta's record and the race up against some really tough colts, is amazing" #zenyatta
@keldo: Agreed - what an amazing race and we must give kudos to Mike Smith who did a great job guiding her to the finish. I used to be an exercise rider and know full well how tough it is to "steer" a horse at 35 mph
I saw this race over the weekend—not because I watch horse racing, just flipping channels—and I heard the commentator say something about "the first female to win so-and-so." And I perked up, thinking there was a female jockey…but no, the commentator was talking about the horse.
That got me thinking: Why are there no female jockeys? Some kind of bullshit tradition? Or are there occasional female jockeys and I've just never heard of 'em? Any Jezzie racing fans care to fill me in? #zenyatta
There's a female jockey on this show, of course she and a male jockey are dating. So there's one out there. I'm curious how many others and why the sport is dominated by men. #zenyatta
@AvgElitist: Yeah, it seems like there would be a larger female pool of potential jockeys, given that women are far more likely to come in the required height/weight combo. That's what made me curious… #zenyatta
@Kivrin: Supposedly the women who try to break into the sport are treated really crappy by the dudes. Also there is the superstition of bad luck if they have a female rider. Stupid. #zenyatta
@Kivrin: There have been great female jockeys (Julie Krone), and also great female trainers (esp in the UK jump racing scene) but sexism still holds them back.
Also, I've been following the new UK pony racing sport for teenagers, and it seems that horse racing is the last bastion for boys. Girls have taken over the other horse sports at junior levels.
many women wind up becoming exercisers, who run the horses through their paces in the morning, and groom them and walk them.
this woman exerciser would have to be able to know the right people to get an owner/ trainer to let her ride their horse as a jockey. you see this more often at small local racetracks, there's usually a couple of women jockeys.
when you reach the bigtime such as the breeder's cup, you're talking megabucks and the trainers like to use the small group of jockeys they know and always use. the owners usually go with the trainer's recommendation. and there are only a few horses that make this grade every year, so the opportunity to be the female jockey on one of them is very limited.
i imagine there would be same crap from the male jockeys, as there would be in any other male-dominated sport, but the horses are all about the same size! #zenyatta
@bowleserised: In 1993 I saw Julie win five races in one day at Saratoga. Another female jockey named Georgina Frost won two other races on the same card, and I met Ron Turcotte in the paddock. My thirteen-year-old heart just about burst that day! #zenyatta
I've seen one of these shows. Great fun. At the beginning a white curtain was projected out into the centre of the ring, sort of like the prow of a boat. The silhouette of a real horse appeared on it, thirty feet high, pawing the ground mightily.
And then the silhouette of the horse cocked its tail and dropped a gargantuan load of horse apples.
They removed the curtain sharpish after that.
How on earth do they do that? I sang to my horse, but she barely tolerated my singing and once tried to bite me to shut me up. Those horses are totally into it!
@badmutha: I sang to a horse one day who didn't want to go on this corny trail ride with me. It was fun watching his ears, you could tell he was listening. But suspiciously. Thanks for the funny memories. xoxo
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Zenyatta's record, up against some really tough colts, is amazing! #zenyatta
11/09/09
Rachel Alexandra, on the other hand, has raced against colts twice, and older male horses once. She placed first all three times, including becoming the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 85 years, and first ever female horse to win the Woodward Stakes. She didn't race in the Breeders' Cup because she doesn't race on synthetic turf. #zenyatta
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I wish they could have raced together because, ultimately, that would be the only way to decide who should be Horse of The Year.
I love both girls! #zenyatta
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Yay! Zenyatta! #zenyatta
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That got me thinking: Why are there no female jockeys? Some kind of bullshit tradition? Or are there occasional female jockeys and I've just never heard of 'em? Any Jezzie racing fans care to fill me in? #zenyatta
11/09/09
[animal.discovery.com]
There's a female jockey on this show, of course she and a male jockey are dating. So there's one out there. I'm curious how many others and why the sport is dominated by men. #zenyatta
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@Kivrin: Because they faint when they win! #zenyatta
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Also, I've been following the new UK pony racing sport for teenagers, and it seems that horse racing is the last bastion for boys. Girls have taken over the other horse sports at junior levels.
[www.theboysclubmovie.com]
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11/09/09
many women wind up becoming exercisers, who run the horses through their paces in the morning, and groom them and walk them.
this woman exerciser would have to be able to know the right people to get an owner/ trainer to let her ride their horse as a jockey. you see this more often at small local racetracks, there's usually a couple of women jockeys.
when you reach the bigtime such as the breeder's cup, you're talking megabucks and the trainers like to use the small group of jockeys they know and always use. the owners usually go with the trainer's recommendation. and there are only a few horses that make this grade every year, so the opportunity to be the female jockey on one of them is very limited.
i imagine there would be same crap from the male jockeys, as there would be in any other male-dominated sport, but the horses are all about the same size! #zenyatta
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That is EXACTLY what it would look like if I drew it. Better even. That made me smile. #zenyatta
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:) #zenyatta
09/11/09
And then the silhouette of the horse cocked its tail and dropped a gargantuan load of horse apples.
They removed the curtain sharpish after that.
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Obviously not, because the horse on the far left is giving the lady its best Bish Plz face and one of the ones in the back looks like it's snarling.
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"I wanted Freebird!"
"Stop fucking asking for Freebird!"
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Edit: Seeing Ponies is more expensive than you would think!
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