In a sport dominated by males, female exercise rider Natalie Berger hopes that she can change that image about horse racing in Jamaica.

The 20-year-old Berger is a regular participant in races offered by the promoting company for exercise riders and achieved her best performance last Saturday when she ran a close second to Super Dave while riding the Paul Smith-trained Pocket Ace.

Berger, who graduated from Gaynstead High School with passes in four CXC subjects, wanted to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry but decided instead, mainly because of her inherent love for horses, to try her hand in horse racing.

“I would sit with my father in the market, watching and listening to the races. It was on one of these occasions that I was approached by Carl Johnson — that was in 2011. Johnson asked me if I would like to ride horses. My father interrupted and said that we will think about it,” Berger said.

Berger said although her father did not want her to ride, she took the decision to move from Kingston where she was living at the time to Cedar Manor in Gregory Park which is closer and within walking distance to the racetrack.

“The move to my uncle’s place in Cedar Grove has changed my life and has helped to get me closer to what I really want to do which is to ride horses for a living,” Natalie told the Complete Racing Guide.

Berger then started to visit the racetrack where she was introduced to trainers Carl Anderson, Randolph Scott and Tensang Chung.

“These trainers would give me horses to walk around the ring in front of the stables and that is where I started to understand and appreciate the likes and dislikes of horses. In time, after I developed my skills, I was allowed to exercise horses on the track, of course, under the instructions of the trainers. I felt really good about this,” Berger said.

Natalie has also realised from her relatively short time at the track that it is difficult and challenging for a female exercise rider especially among the males, but is determined to achieve her ambition of becoming a jockey.

“It is very hard and always challenging for me being around male riders but hard work will get me there. They (male riders) are always teasing and troubling me but I take this as motivation as every time I ride in a race I learn more and more because there is always someone that would come to me and tell me that I should have done this or I should have done that… but it is a learning process and hard work and dedication will bring me through,” Berger said.

Berger is hoping to be included in the next intake of students to be admitted to the Jamaica Racing Commission’s Jockeys’ Training School where the formal training of riders takes place.

“The next time they will take in persons at the Jockeys’ School is about one-and-a-half years from now, so I just have to keep up my hard work and hope I get in after which my aim is learn well and acquire the skills which will make a competent rider,” the 20-year-old said.

Berger says her role model is Canadian born, model, television personality and jockey Chantal Sutherland.

“I really admire Chantal Sutherland as a role model not because she is a female rider but because she is not intimidated by the male riders, and also by the way she has marketed herself. Sutherland is an achiever and I want to be an achiever, not only in horse racing,” Berger said.

As part of her plan aimed at self-development, Natalie plans to return to the classroom in order to increase her formal education. “I gave up a lot to try my hand at horse racing, but sometimes you have to plan for the future and this is why I want to go back to school and further myself,” she said.

BY RUDDY ALLEN