Rivero New Apprentice Rider at Hoosier Park
By Ben Wilson
Hoosier Park Racing & Casino has a new rider on the rise this year. Aymara “Mari” Rivero is one of the few female riders at Hoosier Park and also one of the few apprentice “bug” riders this season. Along with being new to Hoosier Park, she is also new to racing and is in her first year racing atop Thoroughbreds.
Rivero is a native of the town Troy, Illinois located near St. Louis. From a very young age, Rivero has been around horses because her mother has worked for years as a groom at nearby Fairmount Park. Rivero began to ride casually at the age of eight. Once Rivero had shown interest, her mother bought her a horse of her own.
“My mom bought me a horse thinking I would lose interest,” said Rivero. “She had hoped that I would lose interest so she could keep the horse for herself.”
However, Rivero’s interest and passion for horses continued to grow. At the age of 15, her mother got her a job at Fairmont Park as a groom. After graduating from Triad High School, she eventually worked her way up to the jockey level, a position she has held since March of 2011.
“I rode the card a lot and got some great experience at Fairmount Park,” said Rivero. “Then, I decided it was time to move on to higher places to get my name out there as a rider.”
Rivero has raced at four different tracks thus far, including Arlington Park, Ellis Park, Fairmont Park, and Hoosier Park. Not many people are familiar with the 20-year-old jockey because she is so new. However, she hopes that her success thus far will bring more clientele. When asked why trainers should consider her for riding their horses, she was quick to respond.
“I always go out and try my hardest,” said Rivero. “I never look at the odds. I feel I am a finesse rider and I feel I can calm the horses down because I am not jerking them all over the place.”
In addition to being one of the few apprentice riders, Rivero is also one of the few female riders at Hoosier Park.
“I like being one of the only girls,” said Rivero. “I don’t really feel like a girl when I am around all the guy jockeys. The guys don’t scare me. I just know some hate losing to a girl.”
Although Rivero attended college at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, she has no plans of leaving the racing business behind. Rivero is very content to learn more about being a jockey and working to improve her riding skills. She is a jockey to watch for the future at Hoosier Park.
Photo by Linscott Photography