Ramirez Enjoys Support at Puerto Rico's Jockey School

Lorenlimar Bezares Ramirez, whose first name often is shortened to Loren, is a 16-year old from the zone of Jurado in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

In her second year at the school, Ramirez took interest in racing because her grandfather liked it and because she often rode her family’s horses in “carreras clandestinas,” or unofficial regional races among farms and neighbors run in the open rather than at a track. Her father had horses as did her cousins, and Ramirez grew up riding. 

Ramirez’ mother encouraged her to further her skills and become a professional jockey at Puerto Rico's jockey school, the Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Reveron. To get ready for the interview, she had to get her weight down to 103 as well as prepare her answers to convey her commitment and passion for riding, in the hope of being admitted. Ramirez was accepted, earning the right to get up every weekday at 4 a.m. to drive one hour to the school. She finished her last year of high school in the afternoon program provided at EVH—12-hour days. 

“To be a woman training to be a jockey isn’t easy,” Ramirez said. “And keeping my weight down requires real sacrifice. I stopped eating rice, and now I consume mostly protein and vegetables. I only drink water with my meals.”

Ramirez also acknowledges the responsibility a student jockey carries. 

“The horses depend on you, the teachers expect a lot from you, and the trainers are entrusting you with the mount,” she explained.

Fortunately, Ramirez feels supported by the instructors and by Joan Morales, the school’s psychologist and social worker. Ramirez is well aware of the dangers of working with horses. She has already been injured.

“A horse stepped on my foot, and I tried to pull it free. The tendon snapped, and I needed surgery. I couldn’t walk for a month, and the wound got infected,” Ramirez said. “It was terrible because it happened after Hurricane Maria, and there wasn’t any electricity or water. They thought they would have to cut off my toes.”

Ramirez recovered but has suffered other injuries as well, and several people close to her have recommended she give up riding. Those friends and family soon hear the level of her commitment.

“Kick me out of my house before you make me sell my horses,” she said. “If I get hurt again, then I get hurt. I am not afraid.”

 

In the Feb. 29 issue of BloodHorse magazine, writer Gabrielle Kuenzli profiles four current students at the highly regarded jockey school in Puerto Rico: the Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Reveron.

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