Page 106 - Majestic Vol 6
P. 106
INSIDER
Chen Li and Qin Yong were participating in races in Chen Li on North Dakota 陈黎策骑“北方大佬”
Barbados 陈黎及战友覃勇出赛巴巴多斯
PLAYING OUR PART EVERY TIME “In the past, I was aware of my flaw, and the disparity
A jockey tends to have very particular physical characteristics between others and me, but I did not know how to
in order to control a horse with both deftness and strength. improve or reduce this disparity. After living abroad,
With Chen Li’s youthful looks, it is hard not to mistake I have now learnt to change for the better. Compared
him for a high school student. After joining the horse racing with other countries, China had a late start – that is an
industry, he was eager to excel, just as how he had been as a indisputable fact. We cannot possibly catch up in a short
young boy. His drive was the reason he was able to step onto period of time. Instead, we need to continuously build
the international stage within such a short period of time. up experience to improve and reduce the gap. Accepting
one’s flaws humbly while understanding one’s capabilities
During his recovery period, Chen Li would come to the without being conceited – learning requires time and
race tracks as a spectator, to provide moral support to his space to take effect, in particular when faced with success
teammates, as well as to take the opportunity to observe the or failure. The road is a long one, and every competition
horsemanship and styles of other riders. enhances learning.
“International jockeys compete with one another in a test of “Every competition only has one winner. Winning,
skill. There is no certainty that one jockey is better than the however, is not the only goal, and victory is not limited
other; instead you will find no flaws in their skills. As long as to winning a competition. Improving oneself, learning to
you put on a steady performance every time and learn to seize relate to the horse, and building trust and rapport with
opportunities, you will be able to build up your confidence the horse – these will enable both jockey and horse to
and, at the same time, develop your intelligence and emotional perform their optimal best in the calmest conditions. The
quotient. During a race, there are many important details jockey is not the only one accountable in a race. Racing is a
to consider – one has to continuously improve to achieve partnership between man and horse, and, of course, a little
perfection. A good jockey must not commit a rookie mistake, bit of luck is needed too.”
and must help a horse harness its potential in a race.”
According to a study, if a jockey rides an average of 500 races This ever-changing industry is what makes horse racing so
in a season, it only takes one or two extraordinary rides for him attractive: the so-called favourites are only those that have
to be great. For Chen Li, however, giving his best to his metier more advantages. Most importantly, we play our part every
already makes it a successful race. In addition, self-awareness time. Having suffered an injury did not deter this young
at all times has made him realise that success is not attributed jockey, instead giving Chen Li the impetus to reflect and
entirely to physical abilities and characteristics. In pursuing the examine his past on the race track.
art of horsemanship, a high emotional quotient is necessary to
constantly monitor oneself and move forward. We can look forward to Chen Li making a great comeback.
104 MAjestic
