Riding in Jamaica is a dream come true — Canadian Teneca Wolfe
Teneca Wolfe, who made history as the first black woman to ride and win races in Canada, brought her expertise to Caymanas Park on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Wolfe’s visit to Jamaica is a special one, as she’s spending time with her family, particularly her father, who’s battling the scourge of dementia.
Wolfe mounted the Patrick Lynch-conditioned Chief Dissident in the day’s sixth event. Although she didn’t win, Wolfe said it was a great experience riding in Jamaica for the first time.
“It’s wonderful riding in Jamaica for the first time. There was a lot of love and support, and I felt really welcomed,” Wolfe told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.
“The racetrack is lovely. The horse I rode today was very kind. He did everything right, he carried me around, and yeah, it was a great experience. Horse racing is my passion. I love horses, I love animals and so it is just a hobby that turned into a profession that I am happy about,” she added.
Wolfe’s roots run deep in Jamaica, where her parents were born and raised. Her mother later moved to Canada, and Wolfe followed her passion for horse racing, starting as an apprentice and working her way to the top.
“Both of my parents are Jamaicans as well as my grandmother, my grandfather, my cousins, my aunts, and uncles. My mom was the only one that got to leave Jamaica and went to Canada and so all of the family members are here. This is my home. I have been travelling to Jamaica since I was two years old.
“My father is a groom, and growing up, horses were a household thing. One of my friends was a pony girl, and it kind of rubbed off on me. With my father’s influence, I went into the horse racing business and started at the bottom. Now, I’m at the top. I’m in Jamaica right now, having fun, enjoying the country, enjoying my father, and taking care of him. Riding here is just a bonus to that,” she said.
Wolfe also spoke about her connections with other female jockeys, saying: “I know Georgina Surgeon from when she came up, I know Samantha Fletcher, and Abigail Able.
“The new apprentices, I’m getting familiar with now, but anybody from 10 years and back, I’m affiliated with.”
Wolfe’s journey in horse racing began in 2015 when she obtained her riding licence. She won her first race on August 28, 20216 aboard Cane Bourbon at Fort Erie racetrack, becoming the first black woman in history to win a race in Canada. She went on to win a further six races that year aboard King Forester (twice), Easter Gold, One Destiny, and Marilyn Bordeaux.
According to the American website Equibase, Teneca Wolfe has ridden a total of nine winners. Her favourite win and horse from those victories is Majestic Melody, whom she rode to victory on October 16, 2020, over one mile in 1:38.92, setting a new track record. The victory not only marked a milestone for Wolfe but also created history, as she became the first black woman to win a race at Woodbine.
“Out of those winners, my favourite was Majestic Melody. I called him Magic and that’s my favourite horse. He kind of put me on the map at Woodbine Racetrack. He created history at Woodbine; he won the first race for me. He is a dying-trying type of horse, I mean, he ran, second, he ran third, fourth but he won at Woodbine and that created a history. That’s my favourite horse.
“I won most of my races at Fort Erie but Mystic Melody was the best of them all as he really put to the mark on the map as I became the first black woman to win a race not only at Woodbine but in Canada. It is a good feeling, I mean being different is a good feeling, breaking barriers, opening doors for other females in the industry, or even over the world to do different things, and to jump out of the comfort zone, and to be okay, it is hard but it can be done,” explained Wolfe, who also rode at Tampa Bay Downs.
As she looks to the future, Wolfe remains committed to her craft.
“I don’t have a date when I’m leaving. I’m just taking things one day at a time and enjoying every moment. This is just the beginning. The real dream is for my day to be here on the ground and when I win and take the picture, that’s the complete. Hopefully sooner than later,” Wolfe ended.
