It's easy to sit back and play armchair quarterback while drivers and jockeys navigate thousand-pound animals through horse races. One of the world's most recognizable professional athletes has decided to take up the challenge himself, and he has found it to be a little tougher than what he had once imagined.
According to an article by the The Telegraph, former star footballer (soccer player) Michael Owen, who has taken quite an interest in horse racing since retiring from the pitches, will make his riding debut this Friday (November 24) during a charity race against 10 other competitors at Ascot.
Owen, who had gotten into the breeding and owning of Thoroughbreds since his playing days, has been prepping for his Friday ride. He has shown that he has the chops to get up in the irons and stay with his charges as they breeze, although, as the footage below shows, he may still be navigating the learning curve a little bit.
In speaking about his upcoming ride, Owen has explained some of his nervousness about the dash. He also stated that it will be hard to stop his competitive juices from flowing.
“My biggest worry will be cantering to the start and then controlling the horse for a flag start when I know it will be revved,” Owen was quoted as saying. “I had a choice of two horses; Chosen Character who’d give me a nice day out or Calder Prince who isn’t so easy but he’ll be more competitive. Tom (trainer Tom Dascombe) says I shouldn’t just want to take part, his assistant says I should play safe, but I’m competitive.”
(With files from The Telegraph)