Paris Insights - The Blog

Gina Shows Us the Starting Gate
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After taking us on a tour of the area where the horses warm up, Gina took us over to the starting gate.

What a Racehorse Sees
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Gina told us that sometimes horses don’t want to go into the starting gate, in which case the jockey, sitting in the saddle, will pull on the horse’s tail to get it to move forward into the gate. We witnessed this a number of times. On one occasion, we saw a jockey pulling on the tail of his horse and somehow the horse made a movement, throwing the jockey off. The horse fell, rolling onto the jockey. Ouch! An ambulance pulled up immediately and the jockey was put on a stretcher and taken off the track. And so the race continues! No time to pause to mourn the wounded.

Recalcitrant Racehorse
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Jockey Waiting for Her Horse
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Standing behind and to the side the starting gate (but separated from the racetrack by a hedge) we could watch the horses and their jockeys prepare for the race. One jockey’s horse was nervous, so the handler walked the horse to calm it. The jockey waited, trying to keep warm in the cold air.

Jockey and Racehorse Move into the Starting Gate
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Finally, her horse was ready. She mounted it and moved into the starting gate. Just in time, because everyone else was lining up.

Seconds before the Gates Open
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There was a tense moment before the gates opened. And then suddenly…

The Start
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Out of the Gate
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…they were off!

Tomorrow: Gina shows Monique how to make the horse go faster!

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Before we left the grandstand for our tour of the racecourse with Gina, we watched the first race.

There weren’t very many spectators sitting in the grandstand, but just before the first race a group of people filed in and sat down in front of us. They were a well-dressed and lively crowd, and when the race started the kids among them began cheering wildly. After the race, they all got up and left, leaving the grandstand empty except for our group. I imagine that they were a family that had invested in one of the horses, and that they came that day to see how well it would run.

Races were spaced out throughout the day, so there was no incentive to remain in the grandstand until the start of the next race.

The Weighing Room
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Gina took us downstairs and showed us the weighing room, where the jockeys weigh in before hopping on their horses. She explained the importance of monitoring each jockey’s weight and the weight of the jockey’s saddle.

Pound for pound, Gina said, jockeys are the greatest athletes in the world. After a few years, most jockeys get weary of the strict diet that they have to follow. At that point, they have to decide whether they want to continue in that career.

Gina and Ultralight Saddle
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Gina showed us an ultralight saddle that some jockeys like to use. It doesn’t provide any comfort during the high speed, bumpy horseback ride. Ow!

Out of the Stable
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Walking the Horses
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Before a jockey gets on a horse, the animal is brought out of its stable and walked. Gina took us into a restricted area where we saw horse trainers and their assistants walking the horses around in circles.

On the Way to the Track
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The jockey in this picture has been weighed and his horse is ready. On to the racetrack!

Coming up: A stageside view of the starting gate.

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