It’s challenging enough to ride in a racing saddle. But in this race, the saddle slipped under the horse’s stomach during the race, leaving the jockey briefly straddling her horse at a full gallop before she managed to pull herself back on. Unbelievably, jockey Elaura Cieslik not only stayed on but won the race at the Salon-de-Provence racecourse in France on the four-year-old, First Wood.
Speaking after the win, Cieslik told Equidia: “I didn’t have time to think about it. One minute I thought I’d fall, the next we were balanced and off again.”
I’m fascinated the horse didn’t freak out with the saddle flopping around his groin area. Deep respect both to rider and horse.
Yes. Maybe it caused him to run faster!
Wow, what a rider. What a great horse. WOW!
But woe be unto the groom who tacked First Wood up. ….