22 July 2020
The best women jockeys will take the start of a special edition of the National Exotics race restricted to them on Thursday 23 July, at ParisLongchamp. It will be an opportunity to discover our best sportswomen. Free admission.
Photo scoopdyga.com
Usually, racing is one of the few mixed sports, with men and women starting in the same competitions. Out of nearly 600 professional riders in France, there are 130 women.
In 2019, the "Quinté" race restricted to women jockeys was won by Coralie Pacaut who was also ranked the first woman in the 2019 jockeys list, in 12th position (with 71 wins). In this Prix de la Vénus de Paris - Grand Prix des Femmes Jockeys, Coralie Pacaut will start to score a double!
She will have to do with some of the best women jockeys such as Delphine Santiago, Axelle Nicco (current 1st woman in the ranking), Marie Velon, Aude Duporté, Lilly Le Pemp, Adeline Merou, Pauline Dominois, Crystal Miette, Frida Valle Skar, Léa Bails, Laura Grosso, Elaura Cieslik, etc.
French jockey Mickaëlle Michel, whose ride was unfortunately scratched in the Prix de la Vénus de Paris, has notably shone internationally in recent months. She has just won a Group race in Italy and she holds the record for victories in Japan for a foreign jockey with a temporary license. Last winter, in only two months, she won 30 races! That unprecedented performance has earned her many fans in Japan. She will be back this winter in this great racing nation for a second season.
37% of horsemen are... women
The growing presence of women in racing is a reflection of the growing proportion of women in the industry. According to the French Racing school-AFASEC, 37% of employees in the horseracing industry. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of women increased by 18.4%. The trend is even stronger among the youngest: among those under 30, 48.7% of the workforce is female (compared to 45% in 2010).