'The day I accept being an everyday jockey will be the day I do something else'
Jonathan Harding speaks to a jockey growing used to the highs and lows of racing
Rossa Ryan could have been forgiven for emerging from the Brighton weighing room in a worse mood after drawing a blank with his first three rides, but he seems relaxed as he wanders over with his lunch.
Fortunately, he has had lots to smile about in the last few weeks, so our interview is not under threat, and we find a place to sit down by the parade ring so he can eat his healthy, albeit fairly sparse, meal.
"I'm okay in front of the cameras after riding a loser but not always behind closed doors," says the jockey, before taking a contemplative sip from his carton of orange juice. "I overthink a lot of things and if I think I've given them a bad ride I can be even harder on myself.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inInterviews
Last updated
Copy- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’