WHEN you look at jockeys on the racetrack and see how tiny they are, you often wonder how they handle a big race horse running at full speed. But for a race horse to run fast and finish first, the less weight the animal carries, the faster they can run.

It’s the dream of most jockeys to be a lightweight rider but not for Ramon Nepare, as the young apprentice believes that being a lightweight rider has hampered the career which has thus far earned him 10 winners.

Nepare, who weighs 43.0 kg (95 lb), said carrying the extra weight in the saddle to meet the minimum weight requirement of 46.0 kgs is at times uncomfortable for him.

“It is very difficult as a lightweight apprentice. Being light is not very easy as I have to be riding with extra weight in the saddle in order to catch the right weight that the horse should carry, plus I have to be eating plenty of food to put on some extra weight. That makes me feel very uncomfortable when riding horses at a certain weight. It has really hampered me a lot,” Nepare said.

Nepare also said that it is difficult for him to get rides and even harder when he is going through a lean spell.

“Some trainers don’t like it when you are too light on their horses. They [also] don’t like it when too much extra weight is added to their horses — and I deal with that a lot. When you are winning the races it is harder, as you have to be doing the extra hard work to try and catch back a form,” he explained.

But Nepare said he is grateful for how his career has started.

“It is not easy as a lightweight apprentice to win so many races, and I have to give God thanks and glory for that. I mean, winning 10 races is a lot of races, although I haven’t reached anywhere yet in my career, I will keep on working and working,” the 25-year-old shared.

“I got into the sport of horse racing with the help of former jockey, David McKenzie. He is well known at the racetrack so I went around him and got to know racing. I come from Golden Spring (St Andrew), where I attended Constant Spring Primary and Junior High School.

“But after I graduated I didn’t go to any more school as it was just horse racing I was into. I just want to win more races as I love horses and I will actually go the extra mile. Big up to trainer Michael Marlowe and former jockey Donovan Clarke. They are my inspirations,” Nepare ended.

— Ruddy Allen