Janeen Painter

Janeen Painter is a retired jockey who liked the site and when we asked her if we could interview she said sure. We fired off some questions to her and here is what she said:

FOTH: Where were you born and where did you grow up?

JP: I was born August 1st 1970 in Greensburgh Pa. about 25 miles east of Pittsburgh

FOTH: What sort of girl were you growing up?

JP: Well i was a Tomboy sort of girl, I have 3 older brothers, and we had a family farm so being a girl wasn’t going to get me out of work.

FOTH: What did you parents think of you being a jockey and did they see you ride?

JP: My parents were always behind me, even when I had gotten really hurt in spills never once did either one ask me to stop. Both my parents have seen me ride, and my grandmother too before she passed on. My mom I would have to say was my biggest fan.

FOTH: What event or events led to you becoming a jockey?

JP: Well my family had a farm and my Dad and Grandfather raced horses as a hobby. Horses were always in my life, I started riding when I was about 3 and as long as I can remember I wanted to be a jockey. When I was 15 my dad took me up to a track in Erie, Pa and basically dropped me off to learn, so that's what I did. I learned to exercise horses and pony them to the gate in the afternoons and let’s not forgot all the stall cleaning too.

FOTH: Looking back, was being a jockey harder or easier than you thought it would be?

JP: It was a lot harder than I thought it would be for sure, but nothing worth doing is usually easy, so I didn’t mind the hard work. I wish I would have known then what I know now, but hindsight is always 20/20.

FOTH: Tell us what you remember about your 1st race.

JP: The thing I remember the most was how hard that dirt hit me in the face with 8 other horses around.

FOTH: Tell us about your 1st win.

JP: My first win came aboard a horse for my dad called Race N Joe at Thistledown, it was trained by Lonnie Grey. I kept thinking this is a dream it has to be cause nothing has ever felt like this. The feeling of crossing the wire first, well just has never been anything that compares to that.

FOTH: Did they cream you and did know it was coming?

JP: Oh yeah they creamed me and tried to paint me but I fought and then ran. I knew they would be waiting for me; it’s the jockeys rite of passage that we all go through.

FOTH: How long did you ride for and what made you retire?

JP: I rode from 1986 until early 1999, the summer of 98 I came out to Santa Anita for the summer with a trainer from Arizona. I just wanted a change of pace and the chance to be around better horses and better horsemen. I had given thought to quitting before; just needed the right opportunity.

FOTH: What tracks did you ride at?

JP: Well i rode my first race at Erie Downs, then rode my bug out in W.V. at Waterford park (Mountaineer). In 88 after I lost the bug I rode at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona in the winters and Ruidoso Downs or ArapahoePark in the summers. I did stay in California. for 1 summer riding at Los Alamitos also.

FOTH: Did you think you were a good jockey?

JP: I thought I was a good jockey, I think we all have to think that; it’s part of that competitive edge. I always tried the best I could for the owners and trainers, not saying I always did the best job, but I tried.

FOTH: Was it hard for you being a jockey?

JP: It wasn’t hard for me to be a jockey, I really had no weight issues and other than getting frustrated with trainers for "spinning me" the rest all came naturally.

FOTH: What was your proudest moment as a jockey?

JP: My proudest day was at Ruidoso Downs in the summer of 1992, I was on 4 horses that day and they all won.

FOTH: Any other female jockeys you were friends with?

JP: I had lots of friends, us girls we had to stick together you know. I had one friend in particular Violet Smith (Pinky) who was one of the first girl jockeys, she was always like a mentor to me.

FOTH: Do you have any hobbies or things you like to do?

JP: I love to Boogie Board and Surf, I learned how to do both when I took a few years off and lived in Hawaii. I like anything with an adrenaline kick.

FOTH: If a young girl came up to you and said she wanted to be a jockey, what would you tell her?

JP: I would tell her to follow her dreams, be focused and committed. To find the best trainer she can find where she is and ask them to help her, the foundation that she gets before she starts riding will be the thing that will help her the most . Be always open to criticism constructive or otherwise and never forget that you can always learn. And most of all do it for the love of the horses.

FOTH; Do you miss riding at all and what are you doing now?

JP: I currently work as an exercise rider for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. I get on some of the best horses in the world (4 Breeders Cup Champions in 2003 and the Dubai World cup winner) And although I get a great sense of accomplishment from that, I still feel twinges of gosh I wish I could have rode these kind of horses.

FOTH: What injuries have you had and what was the worst one?

JP: I had a few spills the worst being at Waterford Park in 1986, I got dropped going down the backside and a horse stepped on my head, I was knocked out for 4 days and when I woke I had 2 skull fractures shattered sinuses and I had punctured the lining around my brain. I’ve had reconstructive knee surgery, numerous concussions and a still dislocated left clavicle.

FOTH: Any last words? Janeen, thanks for the interview and being part of our site.

JP: I just want to say to any young woman wanting to be a jockey .....GO FOR IT !!!!!!!! You only live once.

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