Page 35 - August 2017

There are no pony horses or outriders. After the race is finished, the horses line up on the track to wait their turn to enter the winner’s circle to be unsaddled and for the jockey to be weighed.
goes out. All the other horses are out there waiting their turn. They unsaddle everything in the winner’s circle.
You might see a jockey, who had just ridden in a race and did not have a horse in the next race, over in the wash rack washing
a horse down. A jockey, in his silks, brushing on a horse, washing him down, handling him, the whole deal. The jockeys are very much involved, not just sitting in the jockeys’ room. They saddle their own horse and unsaddle their own horse, that’s just part of their job.
The Brazilians are very caught up in racing from a very young age. Even the smallest children would get very excited about the race, and then just charge inside the building to watch the replay. So, it was good to see all the excitement.
We visited the Sao Paulo Jockey Club, the Thoroughbred track where AQHA formerly held their South American Challenge Races.
It’s just a magnificent facility for the rich and famous. When you walk in Hialeah you can almost feel the Roaring ‘20s atmosphere. Well, it’s the same way with the track in Sao Paulo.
It seemed to be patterned after Hialeah. They both are very similar in architectural design. The track had a tennis court, it had a swimming pool for the owners and people. They could come play tennis, they could swim, they could eat at the finest restaurants in Sao Paulo and then watch the races.
Speedhorse would like to personally thank everyone at the AQHA and in Brazil who worked so hard to make this visit a success. Speedhorse will continue to report on new developments as they happen.
See page 138 for the Brazil Behind The Lens and page 150 for the Brazil Snapshots photo spreads.
There are no horse walkers and all the horses are hand walked.
They spend a lot of time in the paddock, and then are led straight to the gates.
The jockeys are very involved with the horses they ride, saddling and unsaddling their own horses and even bathing them.
SPEEDHORSE, August 2017 33