Already in the twilight of my life I remember
when, as a pre-adolescent (pre-teenager), to call it that, since I would be
between 12 and 13 years old, I watched my old man train his horses at the
National Racecourse of El Paraíso.
At the
same time, he compared how horse trainers who came from the south did it.
At that
time trainers with fame and names known to the equestrian of the
time.
Of
course, there were owners who put excellent racing horses in their hands, not
to say in hyperbolic terms or expressions, they entrusted "airplanes"
to them for their training.
They
undoubtedly won many races.
* And
logically they acquired a reputation for being excellent trainers. *
* (👀 at no time do I question the
professionalism of these “trainers”) *
This
caught my attention and I told my dad in the midst of my lack of experience and
knowledge: why didn't he send his pupils to breeze like those southern stars
and they appeared in the equestrian press pointing to the specimen and trainer who
had marked so long in so many meters in the morning of training.
My old man replied that he was satisfied with
sending his horses to gallop always with a saddle and for this purpose he had a
retired jockey from Puerto Rico named Jesus Cruz who was the official galloping of the stable.
And he added: "I make them breeze on race
day and that day they pay me."
I understood perfectly, he did not care or do
not care to appear in the headlines at all. (he was always of low profile)
I also remember that he commented that the
horse was good to gallop in a saddle and that way he would grab more strength
and more action and at the time of the competition he came out vicious and
enthusiastic.
Another
thing that told me that he did not like training in hair, trot or gallop
because it was not good for the kidneys.
Undoubtedly,
(as a teenager one lacks knowledge) and is acquiring it as he grows and matures
and especially when he has a good tutor, a good teacher and even better when
this is your own and wise father
Reading this writing again, I mention Jesús Cruz. I remember that on one occasion, my old man gave a mount to the "negrito" Cruz (that's what they called him out of affection) He always renewed his jockey license annually, although of course no one would ride a tracker over 50 years old. That mount was a Chilean mare named Alma Mía. My father saw her in excess in the lot and the galloping Cruz said to the old man: "he is doing a lot of strength, when he leaves he is a winner" So, Jesús Cruz (+) rode the mare. My dad said "hold on, departure and arrival" So it was, he went ahead and that's how he got to the line. From end to end.
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