I’ll third that. That book was just so real. I felt like I was reading about people I knew. It mirrored my mixed feelings about the sport pretty well- that despite all the problems and issues I have, I can’t help but like it. Between the horses, the highs and lows of the sport, and the interesting characters that seem to dominate racetracks. 
DITTO!
I’m a-feared “Jockeys” is going to be more like “The Hills” than “Ice Road Truckers.” Oh well.
Not By A Longshot is highly entertaining. I didn’t agree with all of Thornton’s opinions and perceptions, but I understand what he’s trying to do. The stories and anecdotes are insightful and hilarious!
NTRA transcript from yesterday’s conference call on Jockey’s with the producers, equine media, Aaron Gryder and Chantal Sutherland.
John Pricci of Horseraceinsider.com asked about the excessive use of wrecks in the promos and taming that down:
Aaron Gryder: Well, the one thing I would say to anybody that feels that way is make sure you watch all 12 episodes and not just, you know the commercial that you’ve seen. I think, unfortunately there’s a dark side to every business and that’s a very small part of it. But what they’ve focused on and showed is every aspect of the game. And it wouldn’t be reality if they didn’t show some of the things that can happen and that it is a very dangerous sport. But it’s not - it’s very well balanced as far as not being just about spills.
It shows the highlights and how well these horses are taken care of and they are taken care of better than any horses probably in the world. Just having their own trainer and their own blacksmiths are there and the doctors that are on call to them. They have better access and nutritional diets.
And, you know, I just think - I think when people see, if they watch all 12 episodes and don’t just make judgment on seeing a spill or two that they will understand how great this game is and you know I would make sure she watches all 12.
Well there you go 
Pricci’s column today: “Animal Planet’s” Jockey Series a Score for Thoroughbred Racing
Cited by both John Pricci and also Claire Novak at the BloodHorse is that sometimes the original call by Trevor Denman is reworked such that it focuses just on X rider for a particular race. Evidently for post-production the producers didn’t want viewers to be distracted with other runners that in the end had no relevance to the point they were trying to make.
Good for Aaron. Yet another reason he is one of my favorites.
[QUOTE=VCT;3856348]
I hate PETA.
I’ve worked at a track. (not any more thankfully)
I don’t harbor any love for the racing industry.
I have a major problem with the way the industry operates.
But hey, people who can be okay with making tons of money off of animals with no thought to their true well-being… this is the show for you![/QUOTE]
Your final comment would lead me to believe that you’ve not worked one hour on the track and if you did you weren’t paying attention. Very few, if any, make “tons” of money. Pretty much everyone I’ve ever met in this business laments about how much money they haven’t made.
The article from The Boodhorse on the Series “‘Jockeys’ Series Shares Insiders’ View”
During a national teleconference Feb. 3, Bronstein said they developed the idea five years ago but couldn’t sell it to anyone at the time.
“We really thought the idea of jockeys in this very high-stakes world was so compelling, and we couldn’t get it going five years ago,” Bronstein said. “And persistence pays off. Animal Planet – we heard through the grapevine that they were looking to do a show in the world of horseracing about jockeys. And we charged in saying, ‘We’re the ones.’ So, you know, it’s been a long time coming. It’s a passion project for both of us, and we really think it’s just such an interesting world.”
Early on, Kayla Stra, a young female rider from Australia trying to gain a foothold in Southern California, is seen marching through the barn area at Santa Anita with her agent trying to drum up business while letting her frustration show.
Does Kayla still ride at SA? she’s not listed on the Equibase standings or listed on the standings for Turf Paradise
[QUOTE=VCT;3856807]
Glimmerglass,
I don’t really care what the series is like. I think it’s in poor taste for AP to glamorize the industry that over breeds these horses and allows thousands of the animals they are creating and using for their personal gains to end up in various bad situations every year.
You can slice it however you like - the racing industry is not an ethical one in any way, shape, or form and I’m not okay with that. Some people are, which is why the industry exists. There are all sorts of people in the world. I don’t have to like all of them and neither do you, but that doesn’t make everyone who disagrees with you a flat out idiot.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, this just cracks me up. I checked out your website and came to two conclusions.
-
your place is by no means a nice facility, so don’t knock how racing people take care of their horses, which BTW yours don’t look like high quality animals either.
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I personally find it cruel when someone as large-girthed as yourself (from your picture) expects a horse to cart you around on it’s back. I believe that would put you in the catagory of using animals for your personal gain, as I’m sure the horse doesn’t appreciate it.
If you want to throw stones at racing people, I can throw them right back.
I am looking forward to finally watching the series. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever. I was able to watch some of the filming and hope the producers don’t turn it into some sort of freak show by emphasizing the drama and the accidents.
As for the ignorant comments made about the racing world, then simply don’t watch the show when it’s on tomorrow night. . . . but I’ll put money on it that you’re probably going to be sitting in front of the boob-tube at 9:00pm. I try my best not to get pissed at fools who are self-professed racing experts and toss blanket statements out in public.
There are great TB folks out there who love their horses, love the sport, treat their employees well - my family for example. Anyone who says otherwise needs to keep their distance.
Glimmerglass, yes Kayla still has her tack in Southern Cal. to the best of my knowledge. Though she would likely ride a ton of horses at Turf Paradise if she went there. She’s be quite competetive.
[QUOTE=CassandraMarie;3857869]
Not to mention…for those of you who are on the track, we know what REALLY goes on behind the scenes as far as dating goes.[/QUOTE]
People date? I thought they just slept together!
Really and truley though, this show will depict what the producers what it to depict - like every other reality show. My cousin’s former girlfriend was on one of the early 'The Real World" and she told us how what you see on tv isn’t how things really happen. They can edit clips from 3 month periods and make it seem like it all happened in one week’s time on that episode, show footage to mold one person into a character (i.e. crying all the time, a Beyotch, wimp, etc,…).
Viewers should just take everything they see on Jockeys with a grain of salt. And so should some of the naysayers on this thread. It’s a Friday night soap opera and I plan to enjoy the entertainment.
The Associated Press article on the show as seen in the New York Times <a href="[url=“http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/05/sports/RAC-Jockeys-Reality.php”>"]IHT/International Herald Tribune: “Reality show takes viewers into lives of ‘Jockeys’”
“Jockeys” airs two months after the racing industry ended a year in which the sport took a beating financially and with the public.
The recession caused decreased wagering and the tragic breakdown of filly Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby put the sport under fire.
“This is going to be the first great exposure we’ve had in racing for a lot of years,” Gryder said. “People are going to see that these horses each have caretakers that in many cases live just 30 feet away. If any horse gets a fever, an on-call doctor makes a house call and treats them in about 30 minutes.”
Worth pointing out as an observation is that someone watching the show - with zero knowledge of racing - might just assume the semi-glamorous and top tier level of racing is universal. Clearly it varies from track to track. Then again the same ‘virgin’ viewer from a foreign country could assume all American young women are like the shallow Kardashian sister too
QHJockee, :lol:
Show’s on tonight! Now we’ll at least get to see for ourselves what it is exactly that we’re in for. I’ll be laying in my bed with an ice pack and a lot of Biofreeze and Tylenol, because I got dropped hard today. And I’ll tell you what, I’ll get right back on tomorrow morning. Not having seen the show yet we’ll see, but getting hurt and getting back on is a big part of our industry. For jockeys and especially for all of the exercise riders out there. We are all definitely some of the most dedicated athletes and employees and I’d say that the majority of us truly do care about our mounts. Hopefully, that is what the show will express to viewers, not just that the horses can get hurt.
I got a marriage proposal the other day while doing CANTER stuff :lol:
[QUOTE=caffeinated;3862927]
I got a marriage proposal the other day while doing CANTER stuff :lol:[/QUOTE]
Ok spill, who was it?!?!
Now now, I don’t kiss and tell. (er… don’t tell about not kissing. um. whatever)
But it is awfully hard to resist when the pitch is, “I’m unemployed and need someone to support me!”
Had to go cool myself down in the track kitchen, heh.
LOL sounds like a typical racetracker trying to woo you. :winkgrin: Watch out before you get scooped up!
My first husband was a racehorse trainer, and so is my second - it’s addicting - hard to get away from.
More media coverage and comments: Las Vegas Review’s Richard Eng Feb 6, 2009 “‘Jockeys’ captures thrills, danger of riders’ profession”
The life of a jockey, on and off the track, will be shown in a new reality series, “Jockeys,” starting at 6 p.m. today on Animal Planet. I saw a preview of the first episode, and it was riveting – and I’ve been involved in racing for 30 years. I think the show can have broad appeal. It’s not fluff. It’s similar to the reality show “Deadliest Catch,” which details the danger faced by the men who harvest Alaskan king crab.
Now if only the show was also narrated by Deadliest Catch & Dirty Jobs plus Ford Trucks pitchman Mike Rowe who oddly enough sang professionally with the Baltimore Opera. Go figure.
EDITED to add as Caffeinated suggests Mike Rowe’s QVC pitchman stint with the Katsak on youtube 
I think I could watch anything if Mike Rowe narrates it…
That said I do have my DVR set up to record the first episode, hopefully it won’t be blah. I’ll report back!
And if you haven’t seen his old late-night QVC videos, you really should.
“catsak” is probably my favorite.
