 The Jamaica Thorbid Horsemen's Foundation will be hosting a fundraising event from the 1st to the 5th of February. This initiative is to support the needs of horsemen and backstretch workers at K-Manus Park. The official function will be held on the 5th at the Jamaica Officers Club at Uppar Camp with special guest speaker Sean Bridge-Mohan, Sean Jockey in the American Thorbid Racing scene boasting an impressive record of 3,339 wins from 22,332 rides. Now Sean joins us in studio to discuss his impressive career and the Jamaica Thorbid Horsemen's Foundation fundraising event. Welcome to the Sportsmax, Sean. It's great to have you. Great to meet you in person for the first time, having covered a lot of your successes. We're going to talk about your career and what's happening with you overall, but let me start by this assignment that has you here in Jamaica and a need to try to help some of the struggling people in the racing industry, which I'm sure you have seen in North America as well, but K-Manus Park needs some help. Yes, absolutely. And the Jamaica Thorbid, which is started by Ms. Charmaine, is doing a wonderful job, but nobody can do it, but everybody needs some help, you know. And being one of the most, you know, first of all, I want to thank her for having me here, you know, to try to assist the less fortunate. These are the guys that work very hard, you know, and also my accommodation, Mr. Hissa put me up at his, you know, his place in, you know, a Spanish court, and I like to thank him for that. So it was a big organization to come here, nobody can do it. Like I said, I've seen the less people, the people that do the hard work to make me look good in two minutes, you know, and they're the one that deserves it more because I get a lot of glory and stuff, but I'm one of the fortunate ones that have gone abroad and done well, you know, I'm happy to give back to the foundation and help these people that's, they're with the horses more than I am, and they put out a lot of effort and a lot of work, you know, and, you know, I've just been, I've been fortunate that I can come back and do this for them. You're talking about people like Grooms and so on, who are often unheralded. Grooms, hot walkers, yes, and exercise riders, you know. You know, everybody that takes part and do a lot for the horses, like the horse can't speak for themselves. So they're there with them as much as they can and they do all and I'm just one of the fortunate ones to get the two minute ride and get the glory. And, you know, they're the one that works hard. Yeah. Well, the function at which you will be the guest speaker on Monday has, I think, a $15,000 cost to attend, that's $15,000 to make, and that's 90 odd U.S. for the public, but for horse racing people with IDs, I hear that it's $10,000. It's a dinner function, which is approximately 65 U.S. U.S. U.S. dollars. We hope that it will be beneficial and it will make a lot of money to help with this project. Can you tell me some of the things that, if successful, the racing people will benefit from? You know, they need things like water boots and just regular things to get their jobs done. Exactly. And a regular basis, you know, like when it's cold out to have a jacket or something nice to wear, when it's raining out to have a little raincoat or, you know, even boots when it's muddy. It's just like to give back to the unfortunate people that works this hard. You know, it's anything would be, you know, appreciated. You know, and these are the guys behind the scene that do all the hard work and they're the unsung heroes of our game. Yeah. When you were rated from Jamaica when you were 13 years old, Sean, I know your dad was a big horse racing fan. I understand he's not doing that well right now. He really wanted to be on this trip and I'm told that he was crying when you told him you were coming to Jamaica and he wouldn't be able to make it. Yeah, you know, it is a big influence why I become a rider. I graduated high school, didn't know what direction I was going to go in and he basically pointed me and he said, what about this? He never forced me to do it, but he made a suggestion and because of him, I'm sitting here right now and even my brother who rides, you know, he pointed us in that direction and I've had a wonderful career and all the, you know, all the things go, credit goes to him because if it wasn't him pointing me in that and, you know, I never knew I had the ability to ride horses until I was 17 years old. That's the first time I've ever been on a horse and, you know, he pointed me in the right, I wish he could be here, but unfortunately, you know, he's still with us, but he's not very mobile to get around. But he was emotional about you coming. Yes, absolutely, because he's the one that, you know, had a lot to do with me being. Your career has been studied, Sean, with multiple stakes wins, graded stakes wins as well. And you've ridden all over the USA, New York, Florida, California, and you had a stint at Woodbine as well. You've ridden against some really outstanding riders. If I look at the list of Eclipse award-winning riders in the past, you know, 20-odd years or so on that you've been riding, you know, names like Jerry Bailey and, well, now Erad Ortiz, Javier Castellano, among the top riders that you have competed with, can you tell me which of those riders or any other that I didn't name has been most challenging or have been most challenging for you? Well, it's kind of not fair to say which is challenging because every day you go out there, you compete against each other. But one I can tell that was very influential and did a lot of good for me is Richard McLeer, that nobody, you know, he's New York, he absolutely took me under his wings and he showed me a lot after, you know, I had the apprenticeship and we were in the same corner and he discussed and showed me, you know, him between him, Velasquez and those guys, you know, like, showed me a lot of things and I, you know, but I've ridden with a lot, a lot of good riders, like you said, from Jerry Bailey, Pat Day, all those, like Shane Sellers, you know, but there was a couple guys that was in front and like, it took me under their wings and showed me a lot about race riding. And, you know, also, the guy that helped me the most when I had the bug, you know, he rode for a little bit and, you know, he's got two big one areas because he took me under his wing and he showed me the basics of being on a horse because like I said, I never been on one until I was 17 years old. So there was a lot of people that helped me, you know, but there's also a lot of these guys when they go out there, it's not a team sport, so you're on your own. Believe me, you got to compete and put your best foot forward every single time. Yeah. Clearly, Sean, you're a natural for this thing because if you didn't ride a horse until you were 17 years old, which is significantly later than most successful riders, it tells me that you are natural for riding. In 1998, you won the Eclipse Award as the most outstanding apprentice rider in U.S. horse racing. How much did that mean to you and how satisfying was that for you so early in your career? He was very good. I mean, you know, never in my wildest dream I thought I would make it that far. Not being on a horse until I was 17 years old just learned to ride. I just thought, you know, being around Calder, Florida, if I can make it around there because I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, that would be more gratifying to me. Well, the sport took me to a different level. And, you know, fortunately, I was able to win the Eclipse Award. I was nominated the year before, but I started so late. You know, I was just on the ballot. And then, you know, the next year I was able to win it. Yeah. You became the first Jamaican rider to ride in the Kentucky Derby in 2006. And in that same year, Patrick Husbands, the Barbadian rider, also had a ride in the Kentucky Derby. How much do you remember from that? Both were on-place because it was a tough race, though. Right. And the Derby is always the most toughest race you'll ever ridden in, you know, throughout your career. And it was good. You know, obviously it's competitive. I didn't have a good place finishing there, but it's just the experience that you get from riding. It's a race that's unlike any other. You know, it's not your everyday race that you go out there and ride. It's just like, you know, the world is watching and the pressure is on. You try to make the least mistake as you can and give your horse the best trip you can get. Yeah. You rode at Woodbine in Canada for probably about a season or so. A lot of Caribbean riders, trainers and horsemen, are in Canada. What was that experience like? And did you interact at all with Patrick Husbands, who like you, well, you jointly are the most successful Caribbean riders in North American history? Yeah, I get along good with Patrick. Patrick's a good competitive rider and he's done well, obviously. And it was a good experience for him because they happen to have one of the best turf course I've ever ridden on. You know, it's a very, very nice turf course, big, wide. Takes a lot of patience and stuff like that to, you know, and turf racing is a lot different from dirt racing. Dirt racing is a lot faster speed and turf racing is more patience and, you know, and position. And I got along good with Patrick. Patrick is a good, tough competitor, you know, and he's good to ride with and obviously the success that he's had. He's, you know, I interact and get along very good with him. Yeah, talk to us about this trip here to Jamaica because since you migrated at 13 years old, I gather you haven't really had opportunities to come back home. No, this is probably my second time coming back since I left, since I was 13. I had come back one time for a funeral and then this is going to be my second time. Yeah, riders have a very treacherous job. You know, history is replete with riders who, through spills, have become paraplegic. Some have died on the racetrack. So race riding is a dangerous sport. Obviously, you don't think about that too much when you're riding because there would be fear and you don't ride with fear. But how lucky do you think you have been that you haven't been seriously hurt as a rider at 44 years old? Well, I've had my shares, to be honest with you. It's not that I've had my shares of injuries, but nothing that kept me out that I wouldn't come back and be competing. That just says it's time for me to walk away. And obviously, like you said, there's riders lost their life, end up in wheelchair and you don't really think about that because it wouldn't make you go out there and not let every other horse run. So you've got to put that away and never ever think about it. The data you do is time to say, you know what, I've had enough and if that's gonna prevent me from getting the best out of my horse, well, time is time and it's time to just back it up and leave it to the younger. Having said that, at 44 years old now, Sean, do you set a timeline on how much longer you plan to race ride? No, I think I'll keep doing it as long as I enjoy doing it. Like, last week I won a couple of races and the adrenaline and the stuff that you get from winning race and it's just like very, very powerful. And being competitive and I think when the competitiveness has come out and get out of me and I say, well, it's time then I just don't ever set a timeframe. Yeah, you've recently been riding at Gulfstream Race Track. We are the Barbadian Safi Joseph Junior as the champion trainer and leading trainer from a Caribbean perspective. We are all thrilled at the success that Safi Joseph is having at Gulfstream Park. Can you talk to us about the kind of strength that he has at that race track at the moment because he has won the last eight consecutive race meets there and is heading for his ninth. Yes, he's built quite an empire for himself. You know, he's got tremendous amount of horses. He probably has 150 horses he controlled in his train if not more and that's what it takes. You know, he has the horses to back him up and obviously his results are proven and he's built quite a stable for himself. Yeah, Sean, great having you here on the Sportsmax zone. We look forward to seeing you as guest speaker at the Horsemen's Foundation event on Monday night. You might get to see me for it. I ride one on Saturday. Oh, that's right. I should have asked you about that because you'll be riding fearless soul for Filipiani. Yes, one rider came out of Spark on Saturday. So the fans will be looking out to see you there. Yeah, great having you in Jamaica, Sean. So we look forward to see you riding on Saturday and then being guest speaker for this fundraising event at Uppark Camp. We go to break. When we come back, we're at the track.