Plenty of little girls love horses. And Napravnik says: “Having been around horses my whole life, [it] creates that natural communication with a horse. I can’t describe what I’m doing — I just do it.” But horse racing, it seems, is not welcoming to women. In an interview with the AP, Napravnik revealed the rampant sexism.
“It still is a man’s world,” Napravnik said. “You still get that just about every day: ‘I don’t want to ride a girl. The owner doesn’t want to ride a girl. You’re not as strong, you’re not as this, you’re not as that.'”
In a segment which aired this morning on the Today show, Napravnik was described as a “sweet, petite redhead.” She claimed that her fellow competitors treat her as an equal, but Pants On Fire’s horse trainer, Kelly Breen, said of Napravnik: “She rides like a man.” (What does that mean? That she doesn’t suck?)
Pants On Fire has a good chance, but even if the horse doesn’t win, Napravnik is happy for the opportunity: “However well we do, it’s just going to be a thrill to be there.” Napravnik’s mom — who has purchased a hat for the occassion — will be cheering her daughter on at the race on Saturday, the day before Mother’s Day. Napravnik says: “My mom, she is just one of the proudest mothers that you could ever imagine. I am so excited she’s coming to the Derby. It’s almost as much her dream as it is mine.”
Chasing Racing History Aboard Pants On Fire [AP]
Female Jockey Rides For Kentucky Derby History [CBS News]
