Has Now Won 47 Races

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30916, 24 November 1965, Page 2

Has Now Won 47 Races

(By OLDRICH EGEM, in "Czechoslovak Women. ”]

When Mila Hermansdorferova, a petite blonde with plaits, enrolled at the agricultural school for horse breeders and professional riders associated with the Chuchle race track near Prague, 12 years ago, no-one thought she would become a promising jockey let alone

Czechoslovakia’s first full • time woman jockey.

She was so clumsy that the teachers tried to persuade her mother to take Mila out of the school. But Mila wanted to go on.

After finishing the school, she decided to stay.

She was soon to have some misgivings about her decision, when new horses arrived: they almost finished her career.

Young horses from the pastures, unused to saddles or riders, are wild. Mila became frightened as breaking in yearlings is hard work which owes nothing to breaking in mustangs as we have seen in films.

She gave in her notice end did not enter the race-track for two months. But anyone who falls for horses finds it hard to forget. Mila came back and she was lucky.

She was assigned to work with the trainer, Josef Kristufek, who had a lot of understanding for the inexperienced rider. He gave her the calmer horses, and went to a great deal of trouble to teach her.

The girl subsequently appeared on Blava, Nonius, Lot. Nitra, Korab and even began to win races.

Her first win was on Vikomt in a 10 furlong flat race. He was her favourite horse, and paid her back for her loving care. This race definitely decided her career and she became the first Czechoslovak fulltime woman jockey. Since then, she has lost her

fear of horses, and has ridden many thousand miles in the saddle. Her most famous races include the 10 furlong steeplechase in Karlovy Vary in 1960, when she outrode Havelka, an excellent jockey. She defeated this rider again, a year later, in Nitra. In international races in Pardubice she was second twice, third four times and fourth

three times. Riding in horse races requires hard training, it often even means going hungry to get rid of extra weight, and, of course, constantly improving the training rides. The rugged life is not easy. “It takes good nerves,” says Kristufek.

t What else is there to say ■ about a woman who in spite [ of all the difficulties has car- : ried on? • This month she will cele- . brate her second wedding ■ anniversary. Her husband is a zoo-tech- ■ nician, and has understanding , for his wife’s job. That is : the most important thing in

this case. Mila can dedicate herself to perfecting her riding technique. Although she has won 30 steeplechases and 17 flat races, her dream is not yet fulfilled. She says she will be happy when she has won an international race.