@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
@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
@smopenna: Agreed, one of my favourite memories as kid was the Variety Club parade, with the fire engine full of Coke. It even came to my TINY little hometown. What a good time.
It's the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap- happiest season of all
There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago
It's the most wonderful time of the year
Hey, let's cut the poor old guy a break, shall we? I mean, he busts his ass all year in order to bring joy to everyone. He unfailingly shows up to all the crowded, sweaty shopping malls every December. He never refuses to let any child, no matter how smelly, snotty, or violent, sit in his lap. He's well past retirement age. His wife must be getting fed up at this point. That, or she's given up, and medicates herself into oblivion. (Lady Santa's little helper?) Anyway, it's a long year for our boy. We all need to blow off steam every now and then, and what better way to do so than throw one's white-gloved fists around? I will say, though, that this merely proves my long-suspected belief that Santa is a mean drunk.
04:42 PM
07:27 PM
Zenyatta's record, up against some really tough colts, is amazing! #zenyatta
08:00 PM
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
04:04 PM
04:32 PM
Yay! Zenyatta! #zenyatta
03:32 PM
03:29 PM
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
03:33 PM
[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
03:35 PM
03:38 PM
@Kivrin: Because they faint when they win! #zenyatta
03:39 PM
03:44 PM
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]
03:52 PM
04:19 PM
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
03:25 PM
03:21 PM
03:15 PM
03:17 PM
03:27 PM
That is EXACTLY what it would look like if I drew it. Better even. That made me smile. #zenyatta
04:15 PM
04:21 PM
:) #zenyatta
08/05/09
That's all. Just a hearty "yay" for one of the best charities around. : )
08/05/09
08/05/09
It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap- happiest season of all
There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago
It's the most wonderful time of the year
08/05/09
08/05/09
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08