PESI RETIRES FROM THE SADDLE

After 23 years in the saddle, 39-year-old, Pesi Shroff is ready to retire his silks and boots for the dressage tack of a horse trainer

At the Mysore racecourse, where he had his first win, the Mumbai-based jockey announced that he would officially retire on October 31, 2004, at the conclusion of the Pune racing season. The exuberance and thunderous applause from the audience as he took his last bows was a fitting tribute to his achievements throughout his career. As racegoers clamoured to express their admiration, Pesi held back tears and accepted the accolades with dignity and pride.

Life as a jockey hasn't been easy for Pesi, as he constantly pushed himself to the limit on a daily basis, to maintain his champion status. Despite being 10 kilos underweight at 55kg, for his height of 5 foot-7 inches, he was engaged in a continual battle with keeping his weight down. For over two decades, his average meal has comprised of fresh fruits, broccoli and tofu. His gruelling exercise regime prior to a race, included wearing a plastic silver suit on top of layers of clothing while walking or jogging four times around the Mahalaxmi race course. He would also frequent a gym focusing on cardiovascular exercise with very little weight training, to avoid building muscle mass.

"Being a jockey is hard work. There was a lot of sacrifice involved. One cannot take a day off or spend time with one's family the way one would like to. There is always a fitness regime that one has to stick to. One has to stay fit." His wife added, "He has been so harsh on his system for so long now. We decided it was time to stop before he ran into any serious health problems." With 30 Derbys, 106 Classics and over 1700 wins under his belt, he has no regrets over leaving.

While he looks forward to eating proper meals, listening to classical music, watching cricket and spending time with his family, he is also enthused over being able to continue his career in the sport of racing, albeit in a different capacity. As his mother was a seasoned rider, the track and horses have been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. With a supportive family, he was able to grow and excel in his passion for the sport.

It's only natural, then, that he would want to maintain close proximity to the racing world after his retirement as a jockey. The job of racehorse trainer will certainly be less demanding, physically, but will still pose a worthy challenge for him. To date, the transition of top-notch jockeys to top trainers has been very rare. Pesi, however, is fully confident that, despite his lack of formal training, he'll do well owing to his broad experience with horses. Major owners, like Dr. Vijay Mallya, Shyam Ruia and Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, have confirmed their confidence in him by entrusting the care of their horses to him.

With all eyes focused expectantly on Pesi, he is up for the challenge and rearing to go.