Black Jockey Finds Prejudice Against Women

When you’ve been a jockey for eight years, averaging one race every 10 days and one victory every four months, people begin to wonder how you stay in financial shape. Jockey Terry West has a simple answer: exercise.

West, 29, grew up in Washington, graduated from Coolidge High School and became a racing rarity: a black female jockey. But she essentially makes a living galloping horses.

In the predawn chill, West gets into her ’84 Volkswagen and drives to Bowie Race Course. She earns $6 for every horse she exercises and makes between $250 and $450 a week. In winter’s piercing cold, she says, it’s worth $20 a horse.

She aspires to ride in more races but says discrimination--against her sex--prevents it.

“It’s a problem getting horses to ride,” West said on a recent afternoon at Laurel Race Course. “They always say, ‘Why you gonna ride a girl? They aren’t strong enough.’ I feel we’re just as competent as (males) are. The problem is most of us don’t ride enough to show we can do it just as well as any of the guys can.”

King Leatherbury, one of the most successful trainers in Maryland racing history, said, “With all due respect to females, I’ve just never seen a female rider that’s as good, as strong, as aggressive as a male rider.” Leatherbury said he never has known race to influence jockey selection.

And Leatherbury added: “I’m about the last one to ever support apprentice riders. I like to go along with the more experienced rider. Other than Chris McCarron, I’ve never seen an apprentice look that great.”

West will remain an apprentice--receiving a five-pound weight allowance--until she wins 40 races. At her current pace, that would be in 1990.

“I don’t think (the weight allowance) really helps me,” said West. “But if I lose it . . . that would be the best excuse then not to ride me: ‘Well, she doesn’t have five pounds, so why use her? We might as well use some guy.’ ”

West has declined to hire an agent. “We’d both be broke,” she said, laughing.

She had just finished third in a cheap claiming race at Laurel, her mount charging from last place to 1 1-2 lengths shy of the winner. Still, she was uncertain about future assignments on the horse.

Said West, “A lot of times, the owner will say, ‘I don’t want her on a horse,’ even though the horse finishes on the board. Maybe he’s just starting to get sharp. But they take you off the horse, and he wins the next time out, and they say, ‘See, I told you she couldn’t ride.’ It gets kinda frustrating.”

West seldom rides more than two races a week. But the following day, she had two mounts, and one of them rallied to win. It was West’s 24th career victory in 271 races. Her best year was 1981, when she won six of 14 starts.

She rides primarily for Vincent Lewis, a small-time trainer of 10 horses who appreciates her insights. “Horses will get along with her that other seasoned riders will have trouble with,” Lewis said. “She knows when a horse is sore, and she can be very (exact) about it.”

West’s way with horses has developed over nearly a quarter century. Her father operated a farm in Howard County, Md., raising and showing jumping horses. West was boosted onto her first pony at age 5. But she never considered riding thoroughbreds until a friend encouraged her to take one for a gallop one morning in 1977. The friend worked for Lewis.

“I didn’t have any interest in riding in races until I broke one from the gate. I thought it was a lot of fun. I still get a thrill out of it.”

Said Lewis, “When you grow up with jumpers, you’re very sensitive to horses taking bad steps. And she was. She’s a very intelligent person.”

West is gregarious, a natural amid the race track hubbub. Her off-track life style is stark by comparison. Her parents have died. She shares a suburban apartment with her dog.

“I wouldn’t say I’m lonely. I think I work such odd hours--I get up around 5, get home around 11:30 (a.m.)--everyone is at work at that time. And when they get home at 6 o’clock in the evening, I’m ready to go to bed.”

Once, after West had ridden in an undistinguished race with a forgettable outcome, a man approached her horse’s owner and asked, “Why’d you use a girl jockey, anyway?”

The owner looked at the man with consternation and replied, “You mean that wasn’t a boy?”

West recalled the incident with a grin. “A lot of times, people don’t know I’m a girl,” she said. As a jockey, she doesn’t mind a bit.