The following is a release from Chantal Sutherland on her website:
The moment has come where I have decided to announce my retirement from being a professional jockey; I almost can’t believe it myself. I’m not sad, but rather looking at another opportunity to begin a new chapter in my life. Looking ahead, I’m excited about new challenges and new opportunities that life has in store for me.
Horse racing has been my life for the past 14 years. I’ve reached many of the goals that I set for myself. I’ve lived out many of the dreams I had as a little girl, back when I was riding my pony, mucking stalls, feeding cows, aspiring to finally become a professional jockey and racing in stakes races on a worldwide stage. I’m so very blessed and grateful of the life that I have lived and career that I’ve had.
This past year or so has been so amazing it’s actually overwhelming having to put it to words. I crossed paths with a horse that happened to change my life. That horse is named Game On Dude and what a horse! He’s a soldier. Together we travelled the world. We won the Santa Anita Big Cap, Goodwood, almost won the Breeder’s Cup Classic; we won the San Antonio, Hollywood Gold Cup, and the Californian. We travelled to Dubai and raced in the world’s richest race, the Dubai Duty Free World Cup. As if that wasn’t enough, I was asked to be the poster girl for Santa Anita and Del Mar racetracks, and had my picture on billboards and magazine covers. I can’t even describe how flattering that is. Another honor for me was being asked to represent Canada and the USA in a worldwide jockey challenge in England, titled The Shergar Cup. To top it all off, I was also able to win on my brother’s horse “Awesome Fire” in the Whonder Where stakes. In an ironic twist of fate, my dad, who started me off in this crazy love affair with horses, is also the proud owner of the last racehorse I will ride.
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