Heather Irion
Heather Irion is a young jockey I got to know while she was riding at Philadelphia Park. After a nasty spill Heather returned home and is riding at Fairmount Park. She got back in touch with me and here is her story.
Heather Irion with
Chris, Philadelphia Park
FOTH: Where you born and where did you grow up?
HI: I was born in Saville, IL and I grew up in Gorfrey, IL and that is pretty much where I have spent my whole life except for the past year or so.
FOTH: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
HI: I have 2 brothers, they are both younger Cody and Jeremy. Cody is 16 and Jeremy 14.
FOTH: What do your parents and your 2 brothers thing of you being a jockey?
HI: It scares the heck out of my parents. My brothers they don't really care they just want to know if something is gonna run fast he he and they come running down for the picture if I win. (we both laugh). It kinda scares my parents ya know, they don't like it too much that rather I didn't (giggles).
FOTH: Do they get a chance to see you ride a lot?
HI: Yeah they always watch me if they can. Being back here in St Louis they are every night watching me ride.
FOTH: What sort of girl were you growing up?
HI: I guess I was kinda of a loner. I was a horse crazy kid. I was always riding my pony or messing with the horses and stuff. I pretty much didn't do anything but mess with the horses.
FOTH: Did you know you always wanted to be a jockey?
HI: I guess. When I was little I used to put an exercise saddle on my pony when I was seven years old. I would put him starting gates and I would gallop with my dad.
FOTH: Looking back now, what being a jockey harder or easier than you thought it would be?
HI: Oh it's harder. A couple people may say "oh it's easy" but they are either lying or they are doing something wrong. They can sit there and watch the race and say "they could have done this or they could have done that".
FOTH: Tell us what you can remember about your 1st race.
HI: That was here at Fairmount Park it was on my moms horse. It was a 9 year old mare that had not raced in 3 years, but they brought her back so I could ride my first race. The horse was a first class mare and I was supposed to just go to the front and that is why they brought her out of retirement for my first race make it easy as possible. We ran 3rd and she fell coming out of the gate and we were not in front. I guess made 50 people or so were waiting for me to come out and that kinda sacred me to death. That was kinda scary, but I heard them all yelling as I ran by the paddock.
FOTH: Tell us what you remember about your 1st win.
HI: That was a week later, September 7, 2001 and that was on my baby, Pleasure's Drummer. He was an old 6 year old horse that ran a million times and I love that horse to death he is my favorite horse. It was a pretty cool race cause he was a big old speedball and they tried to put me on the front end, but for whatever reason he were about 4th and we ended winning the race by about 2 lengths. That is the only time in his life he has not been up in front and he had always been up front. One time he opened up 18 lengths on a field and he was an absolute speed demon.
FOTH: What was it like going in the winner's circle for the 1st time?
HI: I was so tired. (laughs) I had the outrider take me back cause I didn't want to go past it. They were so many people in the winner's circle cause I grew up here and there was like a million different trainers that came out.
FOTH: I know you must have got creamed after the race. What did they get you with and did you know it was coming?
HI: Yeah. I have to thank Cynthia Medina for letting me use her vest because I didn't have one. They threw and broke so many eggs over me, soapy water and dirty water. It took forever to get the egg smell out of Cyndi's vest it was pretty bad and reeked for a long time.
FOTH: For those who have never been there what is it like riding at Fairmount Park?
HI: Well it is the same as any other track except the horses are a little bit slower, a little bit crazier, but I kinda like it better. The meet is long and the atmosphere is great and you get to know everybody.
FOTH: In the summer of 2002 you made the move and came out to ride here at Philadelphia Park. What made you make the move to come to Philadelphia?
HI: Well the purses are bigger at Philadelphia and I had heard that you guys were going to be getting slots soon and ultimately I wanted to move up to a more classier track, but I was trying to small steps. I'll move up to a medium track and then move on up to a big track and I wanted to make a name for myself before I got there and that is pretty much why I went and also Gary Yeager (jockey agent) called and he is a pretty good talker.
FOTH: What are some of your memories of riding at Philadelphia Park?
HI: Well I got along really well with all the girl jockeys. Bacarra Rice and Janice Blake and Tara Hemmings were all my buddies. There were some nice trainers out there as well. I didn't get to go skiing so I was pretty mad about that. (laughs)
FOTH: Did you have to change your riding style at all when you rode out here?
HI: No. I basically did what every trainer wanted. I figure out when you’re a bug rider that the instructions are "go to the front" and I probably did that for the 1st week and I just started doing what I was doing back home. The gate crew at Philadelphia Park was awesome too.
FOTH: Do you remember getting your picture with yours truly (I laugh)?
HI: Yes (laughs). After the race I remember getting it with you down in the paddock. I know I was tired after racing that day. (that pic you can see with this interview-Chris)
FOTH: But you smiled for the camera anyway ha ha. Now you had a very nasty spill when you were riding here. Tell us what you remember about the accident and the extent of your injury.
HI: All I remember is seeing a hole, wanting to go for it and as soon as I let my filly go I saw a guy go inside of me and I went to check and I need I didn't have enough time and they next thing I remember is I woke up in the ambulance and the horse was still unconscious and I lost a day or 2 of memory from the incident. I fractured the orbit in my right eye and had to have surgery on it. I got a really nasty concussion. I had to have my boyfriend help me walk everywhere cause I could not see for the next 3 weeks. I had to stay in Philadelphia another month for not being able to drive or anything back home.
FOTH: Did you think about giving up riding at any point?
HI: Well after 3 spills in like 4 months I was in the hospital and I was saying to myself "no more none of this, but maybe I'll do something with the race horses." Then less that 3 weeks I was back out at Philadelphia Park trying to gallop horses and it was making me sick as a dog. I remember my boyfriend trying to hide my riding helmet from me cause here I was 3 weeks later trying to gallop horses again. I still could see out of my one eye neither.
FOTH: After you left Philadelphia Park you went down to Oaklawn Park. What made you decide to ride there and what is it like riding there?
HI: I decided to go down there to try and get fit and do some riding in December and my boyfriend lives there, it's a warmer climate, better horses and get my feet back wet again. I knew I wasn't ready to ride races yet and the physical finish. It is a pretty town and so many people come to watch the races, it is a really big thing down there. Those are some good riders down there and they ride really aggressive and it is a total different ball game than riding up in Philadelphia or here in St. Louis. I wasn't there for a long time, but I did learn a lot.
FOTH: Your back at Fairmount Park. Do you pretty much plan on staying there from now on?
HI: I haven't decided exactly what I am doing. I'm just riding a select few now. I have a problem with my shoulder that is not allowing me to ride many. I am actually going to have to take off another 6 weeks to let my shoulder heal up. It's an old injury that keeps flaring up and I got to let it heal up. Things are going good I have rode 9 horses I have 4 wins, 2 second place finishes and 3 third place finishes.
FOTH: Do you know how long you plan on riding for and do you have any set goals for yourself?
HI: I don't know how long I plan on riding for. I can't say I would be happy riding 6 horses at this level and I don't know how much I wanna do the moving around. It got really old moving across the whole country. There is part of me that maybe would want to do something else with the race horses and the other part is me is like this is why I am here, I can't stay away I guess it is in my blood and I can't quit. (laughs).
FOTH: If some young girl came up to you and wanted to be a jockey what would you tell her for advice?
HI: Definitely spend a lot of time galloping. Not even just galloping, just being around horses in general and listen to what everybody says. You may think "oh this rider is not very good," but I look at as I am a bug rider and every other rider has more experience and is better than me. No natural ability can make up for experience. If they have been riding for say 20 years think of all the situations they have been through and how much they can teach you. They have probably been in the same situation a 100 different times and they can tell you what is the best thing to do in that situation and if you don't listen to them I think your just asking for trouble. That would be the best advice. Just talk to the riders, they are so helpful. I have not met a rider yet that is not willing to help you. Don't be stubborn, always ask. Cynthia Medina is great and Rene another bug rider here are so nice and Cynthia is going to win the 2nd race today. (Heather is at Fairmont in the jock's room as we did this interview-Chris)
FOTH: What are some things you do when you are away from the track?
HI: Sleep a lot (laughs). I really don't do a lot. I'm not a big person as far as going out. I kinda just like to be a couch potato a little bit and I like to work out a little bit. I watch a little tv here and there. I don't like to shop or go to clubs. Riding races leaves you pretty tired and I try to get all the rest I can. (giggles)
FOTH: Takes us through what you do in a typical day.
HI: Now a day in the life of Heather Irion's is pretty easy. I get up and go to the barn and help my mom with her horses and I get up on one or 2 horses a day and I spend the afternoon just kinda hanging out. I do more working in the stables and stuff now. I am not capable of getting up on horses in the morning right now due to my shoulder. Last year the routine was get up at 5:30 am, be at the track by 6am, get on 12 horses a day and if it was day racing I would go eat breakfast, go to the jock's room and ride the races. If it was night racing I would sleep in the afternoon and then go ride at night.
FOTH: Do you feel female jockeys do not get the respect they deserve?
HI: I don't think some of them do. Your gonna get categorized a lot and one thing I have noticed and this is when I went east and this is kinda back in the interview a bit I noticed is that girls are so stereotyped out there. It is a whole lot easier for girls out there and they don't have to have as much ability out there, there are some riders out there that are really good, but because there is so many of them, people say "oh there is another girl rider this is the kind of horse we want her to ride." Out in the west, mid west or south if your a girl rider, there is very few of us, we are not put on the timid horses, we are expected to go out there and do more. We do have to work harder and it's not fair. A lot of them get stereotyped as weaker or they should ride the little itty bitti filly, that is what there favorite thing is to say. I had that a lot while I was out in Philadelphia Park. Sandi Dorr was there and she just kicked their butts. It made easy for me and I think it is harder here than it is there and I thing that is a good thing.
FOTH: Do you have any funny jockey stories to tell?
HI: I remember one time me and the guy riding next to me having a conversation as I was last and he was next to last. (giggles)
FOTH: Do you have a favorite race track you might to ride one day?
HI: My favorite track to ride at would have to be Keeneland and I got to ride there about 2 weeks ago. There were so many people there and I think that is one track I always wanted to ride at and I got to. I rode Arlington and that was really nice. One track that would be nice to ride at is Santa Anita.
FOTH: Any other female riders you like or admire?
HI: Cynthia Medina, Rene Torbit, Janice Blake, Bacarra Rice, Greta Kuntzweiler, I have not met any female riders that I did not like.
FOTH: Heather I am all out of questions. Anything you want to say to wrap this up. Thanks for doing this interview with us and good luck with your riding career.
HI: Thanks a lot. I really love the site and thanks for interviewing me and best of luck with the site.