00:00A champion apprentice rider in both Canada and the United States, Emma-Jane Wilson won Canada's Queen's Plate in 2007 with Mike Fox.
00:09Fast forward 2024, another milestone. She surpassed Julie Crone as the all-time earning female rider in the world.
00:17Then, multiple injuries, followed by lengthy recovery. But now the tenacious rider is ready to mount her next big comeback.
00:25Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a jockey. For me, I love sport, I love competition, and my favourite animal was the horse.
00:35So combine those two things. I mean, every riding lesson I was ever in, I wanted to see how fast I could get the horse to go.
00:43My coach would always say no. So now I get paid to do what I love, compete on horses, and that is just, you know, surreal.
00:51Mike Fox's Queen's Plate win was perfect, in my mind. It was like a tunnel vision all the way down the lane of just keep riding, just keep giving, and everything you give him, he'll give back.
01:05And sure enough, he powered past Alejandro in the 70-yard pull, and we won the Queen's Plate.
01:11The milestone itself, I'm very, very proud of. What it really means is the equality in the sport.
01:25It is something that horse racing could be very, very proud of.
01:30The ability to be gender neutral, so to speak.
01:34Both men and women can compete at the highest level as jocks.
01:39In October of last year, 2024, I suffered probably the worst injury I've experienced, where I did some serious damage to my pelvis, as well as a fairly significant fracture to my neck.
01:54It was a long seven and a half, eight months.
01:59But the one thing that the doctor said to me post-surgery were two words that I held on to, and it was full recovery.
02:07When I returned to racing here at Woodbine, riding meant a lot.
02:12To get out there and ride some races was grand. It meant a lot.
02:16But full recovery was achieved when I hit the wire first the first time and went into the winner's circle again.
02:22Cozy Curling Kitten and Kitten's romance on the inside. The Kittens have it.
02:26Cozy Curling Kitten. Emma Jane is back with a win.
02:29Cozy Curling Kitten.
02:59100% Emma Jane Wilson ride that you count on.
03:04Fear for me is my superpower.
03:07It makes me ten times stronger.
03:09It makes me ten times faster.
03:12It makes my reaction proper.
03:15I assess the situation even better.
03:17So I embrace fear for what it's worth in terms of its benefit.
03:22You are your coach.
03:24You are responsible for building the repertoire, the skills, understanding your strengths, your weaknesses.
03:31No one else is going to hold you accountable to that.
03:34Only you.
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