LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) -Many jockeys get into the business because they grew up in it. Some aspiring jockeys are getting a very early start. That’s the case with the children of Brian Hernandez, Jr., who rode Thorpedo Anna to victory in the 2024 Kentucky Oaks.
Hernandez became the eighth jockey to follow that up with the 2024 Kentucky Derby win on Mystic Dan.
”To win the Kentucky Derby, it just elevates things to a different level,” Hernandez said.
Now, he’s also the one giving a leg up to riders. They are his three kids, 5-year-old Annabelle, 8-year-old Benjamin, and 10-year-old Joshlyn. They’re taking part in pony races. It’s how two-time Oaks-winning jockey Rosie Nepravnik got her start at 7 years old.
”It was one of the most fun parts of my childhood,” Nepravnik said. Her 8-year-old son Carson is pony racing too.
“This was my mom’s racehorse blanket,” Carson said, while walking his pony, who had it on. “He was one of the fastest ponies in the whole wide world.”
They train at Rosie’s farm in Simpsonville, preparing for real pony races in other parts of the country.
“We’ve been to Aiken, South Carolina, Maryland,” Jamie Hernandez, Brian’s wife, said. “We love it. It’s good,” The ponies don’t hold back.
“It shows they’re pretty fearless,” Brian said. “The kids and the ponies. Just shows they really enjoy it and enjoy racing. So, it’s fun.”
The kids agree.
”I think it’s really fun and exciting,” Joshlyn Hernandez said.
Joshlyn and Benjamin have both won races.
“It felt good, and I was very happy,” Benjamin said.
They even got a trophy, just like their dad. Where do they keep it?
“In the basement, by all the trophies he got,” Benjamin said. Brian’s wife, Jamie, who was an assistant trainer for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, admits watching her kids’ race is a little nerve-wracking.
“I just am like, hang on, don’t fall off. Run fast. We’re all competitive, though. We want to win,” Jamie said.
The kids don’t just ride their ponies. Every day, they take care of them, condition them, and take care of their legs. Carson is very serious about following in his mother’s footsteps.
”I’m kind of like, oh shoot, what if he really becomes a jockey?,” Nepravnik says with a laugh. “That’s terrifying.”
The United States Pony Racing has created a program combined with educational experiences and racing opportunities for junior and amateur jockeys. USPR provides racing educational opportunities and racing clinics for young and amateur riders. It’s open to kids under the age of 16 years old.
For more information, click here.
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