A Jockey's Return to Glory in Dubai
Early Fame and Success
Back in the late noughties, Chantal Sutherland was a force to be reckoned with. With G1 successes in the Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup, she amassed over 1,200 career wins. Her popularity extended off the track as well, starring in the reality TV show Jockeys alongside then-fiancé Mike Smith and even making occasional modelling turns in Vanity Fair. It seemed like she had it all, but fame came with its own set of challenges.She recalls, "We had cameras in our life a lot, it was crazy. I didn't realise how many people would get to know you. I remember going to Home Depot to buy a plant and someone saying: 'Don't do it, don't have a baby!' I'm like 'what?'"
Despite the challenges, she believed that it was good for racing and that it helped bring more attention to the sport.
The Career-Threatening Injury
All of this came to a sudden halt due to a freak accident involving some pesky birds in Florida. While galloping out in a stakes race at Gulfstream Park, she ran into two swans and her horse panicked. In an instant, she broke her arm off her shoulder and was left with a complicated surgery."It all happened so fast, there was nothing I could do to help myself or the horse. When I fell off I broke my arm off my shoulder – it wasn't attached at all. It was a tough time, but I'm lucky that I still have my arm to use and that the nerve damage repaired," she shares.
The recovery was a long and arduous process, involving a year and a half of physio and daily gym work. Doubts set in during this time, but she never gave up on her dream of returning to the saddle.
Return to Meydan and the Present
It took 12 years before she returned to Meydan Racecourse, but she is there again now, riding out on that very same track six mornings a week as part of the work-riding team for Bhupat Seemar."For several weeks I was almost completely unnoticed, which suited me as I continued to rebuild. It's been a long road back, but I'm not looking back. I keep that mindset of believing that great things are in my future," she says.
At 48 years old, she knows that her riding days are numbered, but she is determined to make the most of the next two years. She is super-competitive and wants to win, getting into a zone where she can't think of anything else but the race.
Life in Dubai
Sutherland is happy in Dubai, embracing the futuristic architecture and the safe, friendly, and discreet environment. She loves that people here are not too gossipy and that she can focus on her riding."I'm super happy here, I love, love Dubai! It's a great place to be and I'm really enjoying my life out of the saddle too," she enthuses.
Finding rides and winning will not be easy, but she is ready to ride the waves and continue her journey in the world of racing.