Kay Talman
Kay
Talman is a young bug rider based out of
Chris poses with Kay Talman at Philadelphia Park, November, 2003
FOTH: Where were you born and where did you grow up?
KT: I was born in New York, NY and I lived across from Central Park in a brownstone till I was 3 years old and my family Orcus Island in the San Wans for a short period and from there we moved to Mercer Island in the state of Washington and I grew up there the rest of my life.
FOTH: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
KT:
I have 3 older sisters, I am the baby. The first one Miranda, my 2nd
sister would be Titou and my oldest sister is Judy and she still lives on
FOTH: What do your parents think of you being a jockey?
KT: My father is deceased so I do not know what he thinks of me being a jockey. He passed away some time before I became a jockey. My mother is absolutely and completely thrilled and absolutely and completely terrified and calling every day all the time (laughter)
FOTH: What event or events led to you becoming a jockey?
KT: Well as a kid I always wanted to be a jockey. I used to pretend I watched the jockey movies, but I had no idea how to become a jockey. So I just got into horses and doing that one day I read an ad in the paper of someone looking to exercise horses so I called the guy up and set up an appointment and went over and found it was for horse racing. The guys name was Frank Walfner (hope that is right-Chris) an old timer from Longacres. A great old guy and he and his wife were just wonderful. He taught me basics at the farm, I was with him for like 4 or 5 years and he brought me to Emerald Downs and got me started. If it was not for him I was have never have got there.
FOTH: Were you taught anything as far as riding goes? Did it feel natural getting up on a horse?
KT: Yeah, I was taught some stuff. I was taught the basics at the stables near where I lived and I would always ride my bike up there and clean stalls and groom, just cause I liked the horses so much. I took some lessons and just for fun I got some western tack and fooled around with western, but I never showed. Did it feel natural? Yeah, from the moment I was a little kid and got my leg over a horse. You know kids, I loved those horses and I would do whatever it took to get back up on a horse.
FOTH: Tell us what you can remember about your 1st race.
KT: My first race was the fastest race in history. They all said it would be really fast and it was. I got to the jock's room really early and all the girls taught me how to get dressed, fix my silks, put on my rubberbands and how to deal with goggles and that was something I did not consider, which was goggles. The horse's name was 'Battle Boots" He was a crazy horse and nobody wanted to ride him and everybody said 'what are you doing? Your 1st race and you are riding this horse and he rears up in the gates, etc." I just adored him. The track was Portland Meadows and the trainer was Hal Jones and he also owned the horse. I believe, and you can get to me on this, we had a photo for show that day. It was great.
FOTH: Tell us all about your 1st win.
KT: My 1st win was on a horse called "Canadian's Gain' and she was a horse nobody was interested in. The trainer, George Davis had said if I was willing to put the time into her I could ride her. I liked her so I did. She won and it was great. You don't know what to do when you win, I didn't know about saluting the judge, stay on the saddle while they take off the overgirth, I didn't know how to do that. My goggles were just a mess cause I didn't know how to fix them for the picture. The horse was great and I won like 3 times at Portland Meadows and I don't know if she is still there as she is a Canadian horse. That was my first win.
FOTH: Did they get you after the race?
KT: I will keep this basic: Yes!
FOTH: What tracks have you ridden at so far?
KT:
FOTH: I know you rode at
Portland Meadows. What made you make the decision to come ride at
KT:
As a bug back home, the majority of riders will tell you to go back east. That is where you can learn the most, you can make the
most money and that is the only time you can get your foot in the door. A really
nice rider here, you should know her names Shawna Barber (we are working on interviewing her) right before
I left
FOTH: What differences do you notice about riders out west and out here?
KT: The difference would be style and dedication. The style out here is much more professional and the riders are much more dedicated. You do have your group there that is dedicated and have great style too, but I would that is only half of them. Here the majority are hard working and dedicated and have good style going on.
FOTH: Do you have any goals as a jockey?
KT: My goal is too learn. My first goal was to become a jockey and now I am one. Now that I am one I want to learn as much as I possibly can learn to be the best that I can be.
FOTH: Do you have a favorite track you would like to ride at one day?
KT:
Sure,
FOTH: What advice would you give a young girl who wanted to become a jockey?
KT: I would say don't give up. It gets frustrating, you have to work twice as hard and be twice as dedicated, go through the hoops 3 times and the guys just got to jump through those hoops just once, but just don't give up and don't lower your standards and pray a lot.
FOTH: Take us what you go through in a typical day.
KT: I wake up early and take of my pets, stretch, come to the track, check with the trainers, exercise horses, whatever they need done. On a race day I'll go to the jock's room and try to close my eyes for a few minutes, go over the form and program. I'll get up, stretch, ride my races and hope for the best. I go home and go over the races a 1000 times in my head, figuring what you could have done with the horse and just replay it over and over. I then go to bed and pray and ask God for guidance and help the next day.
FOTH: Do you have any hobbies or things you like to do when your away from the track?
KT: My fiance Terry and I like to go and see this area. We are not from here so when there are days we can just go out driving we like to go out and drive and explore. Take the dogs find a new park, fun things like that.
FOTH: How long would you like to ride for?
KT: I would like to ride for as long as I possibly can. If I was to die out there tomorrow that would be fine. I am doing what I love, I am with this great man that I love, I have a family that loves me and then I'm going to heaven. What could possible be better than that?
FOTH: Is there any other female jockeys you like or admire?
KT: Don't know if you know of any of there female riders, but there is Vicky Baze formally Vicki Aragon, she is a Christian. Before I started I talked to her about people saying "oh your so sweet your a Christian, you can't be a jockey, your too nice. Vicki said "Kay I'm a Christian" and she is a strong Christian, and she said "you know what, you go for it, you can do it, just cause your a Christian doesn't mean your weak. The strongest people in history were Christians. Look at Jesus" So she gave me a whole heck of a lot of motivation to go for my dream and go for my goal and to put it in God's hand. And Shawna Barber who told me to go here and she is back here. It is a big step, you don't know anybody, it is a long haul, so to see her come back here, it is really motivating.
FOTH: Do you feel female riders do not get the respect they deserve in thoroughbred racing?
KT: Respect. Yeah, we get respected, but we have to earn it a lot more than the boys do. And if a girl is out there and something goes wrong in a race, the first thing they do is blame the girl. Then they watch the race. Now I shouldn't say all guys are that way, but in the jockey colony you will hear them complain about girls lots more than they complain about guys and the girls just have to work harder and be better and make less mistakes.
FOTH: Kay thanks for the great interview. Any last words?
KT: Give your heart to Jesus. Put your trust in the lord. Put your life in his hands. And you'll find happiness there.