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Description
The gate is the most fascinating place on the track. It is also the most dangerous place. Quarter horses may not be thoroughbreds but they are race horses...with all of the "spirit" and "character" and general race-horsieness you'd expect. Jockeys hate the gate as much as their equine partners, watching them get in and go out a couple of times...and chatting with a jock with a few new broken bones on his way back to the room...well, you get the idea why pretty quick. Getting to work around the gate for a few races yesterday was an experience and one I hope to do again...mostly because I was completely unprepared for how quickly they work and how many interesting things are happening simultaneously in those few seconds of opportunity. I was just too fascinated by the whole process to photograph anything. Man oh man, they swear something fierce in there. Way more than hockey players, which is saying something, because hockey players have the most fantastic foul vocabulary in all of sports....or so I thought. The shot above is a late shot only because I could hear them shouting "goddammit goddammit rider off number four rider off" so I thought the gates weren't going to open yet and the last thing I wanted to do was add to any chaos, but they did open those doors, and off they went, even the number four.

I love my job, and I'm very fond of the athletes I work with. All images are ©copyright 1pen and my sports media company.You may NOT use, replicate, manipulate, or modify this image without my permission. All Rights Reserved.

Description
The gate is the most fascinating place on the track. It is also the most dangerous place. Quarter horses may not be thoroughbreds but they are race horses...with all of the "spirit" and "character" and general race-horsieness you'd expect. Jockeys hate the gate as much as their equine partners, watching them get in and go out a couple of times...and chatting with a jock with a few new broken bones on his way back to the room...well, you get the idea why pretty quick. Getting to work around the gate for a few races yesterday was an experience and one I hope to do again...mostly because I was completely unprepared for how quickly they work and how many interesting things are happening simultaneously in those few seconds of opportunity. I was just too fascinated by the whole process to photograph anything. Man oh man, they swear something fierce in there. Way more than hockey players, which is saying something, because hockey players have the most fantastic foul vocabulary in all of sports....or so I thought. The shot above is a late shot only because I could hear them shouting "goddammit goddammit rider off number four rider off" so I thought the gates weren't going to open yet and the last thing I wanted to do was add to any chaos, but they did open those doors, and off they went, even the number four.

I love my job, and I'm very fond of the athletes I work with. All images are ©copyright 1pen and my sports media company.You may NOT use, replicate, manipulate, or modify this image without my permission. All Rights Reserved.