Page 105 - Speedhorse June 2020

Justine piloting Rare Ed to victory in the Zoetis Turf Paradise Distance Challenge. Cheryl Steeley with Justine as she receives the 2019 Will Rogers Downs Leading Jockey award.
WHAT’S THE BEST HORSE YOU’VE
EVER RIDDEN?
“Rare Ed. He was an 870 horse. I won the Distance Championship Challenge on him at Turf Paradise.
I went to the final and ran second on him at Los Alamitos. He’s just, I don’t know how even to describe him. He tries so hard every time. He puts all he’s got into it and I feel like that’s all you can ask.”
DO PEOPLE HAVE ANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AS A JOCKEY? “My friends, they think I just travel whenever I
want and just show up and ride and can make
Klaiber got off to a good start in 2020—even amid the COVID-19 pandemic—reeling off 16 wins at Remington.
my own schedule, and it’s definitely not at all like that. I think people think the track is kind of like a hobby, but to really be successful at it you have to be committed to it like a normal job.”
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOUR CAREER?
“I think if I keep growing as a rider and a horseman, take every opportunity I can, and hopefully just do my best. ... That’s a big, broad goal. Even though my best keeps getting better, I don’t know if it’s good enough for me if it’s not one of the best.”
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO AN ASPIRING JOCKEY?
“I find a lot of young riders think it’s going to be super fun and be everything they want. And I just think they need to know, to be successful at it, it’s hard work and you have to be 100 percent com- mitted to it. Every decision I make every day is to further my career and my success. I just definitely think you have to keep that in mind. I usually go home just twice a year for holidays. It’s not an easy lifestyle. It’s more just a choice. If you want to ride, you definitely have to ask yourself if this is the lifestyle that you want.”
THE BACKSIDE
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