QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

Question and Answer session with Kylie Manser - questions asked by members of The Final Forum Racing Forum

1) Asked by STE

Q. Will a woman ever be crowned champion jockey on the flat/jumps?


A. Definitely on the flat - but not over the jumps.




2) Asked by Colin Phillips

Q. Kylie, who would you say has been the biggest influence on your race-riding career?


A. Probably John Best in the very early days of my career but both Brendan Powell and Gay Kelleway are helping me a lot at the present.


3) Asked by Colin Phillips


Q. What are your long term ambitions in racing?


A At the moment, I am just concentrating on riding out my claim.



4) Asked by Colin Phillips


Q. Kathy reckons you talk more than she does, can this be true??????


A. Not humanely possible!




5) Asked by Headstrong


Q. Who inspired you to take up race-riding?



A. Not any person, but the experience of riding horses at speed inspired me to take up race riding.



6) Asked by Headstrong


Q. Do you have any family involved in racing or was it someone she'd (for example). watched on the telly?



A. I have a big family but they are not into horses or horse racing at all. I started horse riding at 6 years old and then when I was 14 years old I did a weeks work
experience at John Best's yard and I loved it. It all went from there.



7) Asked by Headstrong


Q. How intimidating is it to go in front of the stewards, and how well does your training at eg. Racing School prepare you for it?

It really depends on the reason you have to go in front of them but I don't find it too intimidating. BRS are very good on preparing you on how to present yourself in front of the Stewards.

A,


8) Asked by Simon


Q. What is your scariest experience in racing thus far?


A. I don't do scared, Simon!



9) Asked by Icebreaker


Q) Kylie all of your wins have been on 4 year olds and upwards... do you consider that you have a particular empathy and "feel" for the older types of horse?


A. I think the reason is because I seem to ride more 4 year olds than 2 or 3 year olds. I have ridden a few winners on 3 year olds and I do get to ride some of the 2 year olds when I ride out.


10) Asked by Simon


Q) What is your biggest regret in racing?


A. Not getting my jockey's licence at 16 years old. I was 20 years old when I first applied.

11) Asked by Keith

Q) Who is your racing hero?


A) Steve Drowne


12) Asked by Keith

Q) What is the best horse you have ever ridden?



A) John Best's Mine Behind - I won the big De Beers Diamond race at Newbury on him at 33/1!



13) Asked by Simon

Q) Which is your favourite racecourse and why?


A. Newbury. It is a lovely galloping track and it's only 30 minutes up the road from me. Lingfield for the allweather.



14) Asked by Quixallcrossett


Q) Would you ever fancy riding over hurdles?

Although I haven't ridden over the jumps yet, I do hold a jumps licence so I hope that answers your question!



A)



15) Asked by Quixallcrossett


Q) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years time?


A) A professional jockey riding some better horses.



16) Asked by Quixallcrossett


Q) If you felt the horse you were riding was not giving 100% would you tell the owner?


A) I would always tell the trainer, it's up to the trainer if they then tell the owner



17) Asked by Quixallcrossett


Q) Have you ever had a scarey moment in the stalls?


A) Personally, I don't find the stalls scarey but at home a horse did go under the stalls with me on!
1
8) Asked by Simon


Q) When your race riding career is over, what do you see yourself doing? TV? Training? Something completely different?


A) I would love to turn my hand at training if I have enough money by then!



19) Asked by Ted (owner of Final Furlong Racing Forum)

Q) Have you ever read Final Furlong and if not, why not? :0)


A) Of course I have! :0)



20) Asked by Melendez

(I am not sure if you want to answer this one Kylie as I am not sure what the reasons behind the question are)

Q) If you were offered a bung by a scarey man to stop a horse what would you do? (I'm presuming you wouldn't accept it! - I mean would you inform the stewards or trainer or police or keep your head down and hope he'll go away.
(or if you have been offered a bung what did you do?!!)


A) I would NEVER stop a horse full stop. I need all the winners I can possibly get. I have never been approached - and remember, I don't do scared!


21) Asked by Icebreaker


Q) Would you agree or disagree with a proposal that lady jockeys should be given a weight gender allowance to negate the advantage of their male counterparts (greater upper body strength etc etc)


A) I think it would be a huge advantage if lady jockeys got a weight/gender allowance as we would hopefully get more rides and winners. It is not always about strength when riding racehorses. Anyway, some of the lady jocks are stronger than some of the male jocks! :0)



22) Asked by Keith

Q) KYLIE , WOULD YOU MARRY ME? :0)



A) Yes!




23) Asked by Keith

Q) What interests outside of racing do you have?


A) Bird watching and train spotting! ;0)



24) Asked by Krizon

(Firstly, thanks to Kylie for allowing questions from the forum! And all good wishes for her career o thrive in the future of course!)


Q) Does she feel that there is too much work to be done in overcoming a prejudice against female riders by owners and trainers, or does she feel such blind bias has now been largely overcome?


A) Krizon, if all the lady jocks rode as well as Hayley Turner does then lady jockeys would possibly get more recognition.



25) Asked by Krizon


Q) Does Kylie feel that there are too many young girls wanting to train as jockeys throught the British Racing School - and does it take overseas pupils, say those from within the EU? If so, are there many from
there whove been trained in the UK?


A) I feel the the more female jockeys the better. It would make it easier for the ladies if the ratio between the sexes were more even, I am not sure if the BRS trains overseas pupils.



26) Asked by Krizon


Q) What is your most disliked racecourse and why?

Southwell. I really don't like the surface for the horses. Saying that, I have ridden a winner there this year.

A)



27) Asked by Krizon



Q) Your big race would you really love to win?


A) I would love to win the Derby. Just to take part in the race would be a major achievement in itself.




28) Asked by Krizon


Q) Do you think, Kylie that racecourses put on adequate facilities for female jockeys? If not, what can they do to improve them?


A) Some do, some don't. The facilities at the newer or refurbished racecourses ie. Great Leighs, Ascot and Haydock are brilliant. They have big changing rooms and sauna's just for the girls!
In some racecourses, you would struggle to swing a cat in them.





29) Asked by Krizon


Q) Do you do any recreational riding, such as hunting, or have your own hack?

As a child I did showjumping, hunting and cross country. It's hard at present with all the racing to do much else although I do try and go hunting at some point every year. I have my own ex racer
called Brown Eyed Girl that I plod about on too!
A)



30) Asked by Krizon

Q) What countries would you like riding in? Any ambition to relocate overseas in the future?


I have ridden in Malaysia and Austria in the past. I would love to ride in as many different countries as possible. That said, I have no ambition to relocate overseas at the moment.
A)



31) Asked by Crucifix


Q) Was there a person who made her want to be a jockey ie. a hero or heroine?


A) It wasn't a person Crucifix, just my love for horses that made me decide that I wanted to become a jockey.



32) Asked by Crucifix


Q) If you could ride any horse, past or present who would you want to be on and in which race?


A) I would love to have ridden Attraction in The Guineas and Kauto Star in The Gold Cup! :0)



33) Asked by Crucifix


Q) Do you find it hard to keep your weight down or are you naturally thin?


A) I have to work very hard to keep my weight down.... unfortunately!

34) Asked by Keith


Q) Kylie, you are hosting a dinner party, which 5 people would you invite from the racing world?


A) Luke Harvey, Robert Cooper, Gay Kelleway, Lester Piggott and Brendan Powell! :0)


35) Asked by Katarina


Q) What type of music do you enjoy?



A) I love all types of music depending on what mood I am in. Magic is my favourite radio station.


36) Asked by Katarina




Q) What were the last 3 CD's you brought?


A) Rhianna, Beth Rowley and R&B Love Songs.



37) Asked by Katarina




Q) If you hadn't become a jockey what other career would you have chosen?


A) It's hard to say, but I was training to become a firewoman before I decided to become a jockey!



Kylie Manser
xx