Sandy Schleiffers

Jockeying for Position Sandy Schleiffers

It's said that amazing things happen when you're in the right place at the right time. Right place, right time was a reality one early morning as I walked down the shed row of the barn at the racetrack toward my boss, Jim. I will never forget him looking up from the newspaper and saying to me, "Well, jock, do you want to ride races?" I was so angry when he said that because in those days, women were not allowed to be jockeys. I remember thinking, I am as good as any guy on a horse but I can't ride races because it is a male dominated sport. Jim looked at me and said, "Look at this article in the paper." Sure enough, a woman, Kathy Kusner, had applied for a jockey license. This would change history, my life, and the lives of many other women who wanted to pursue non-traditional careers. I am the 4th woman jockey in US history to ride and win a race at a recognized track. I am also the first woman jockey to win races in Arizona and Colorado, and the first woman jockey to become a member of the male Jockey Guild. It has been over 50 years since I rode my first race. Since I'm not getting any younger, I decided it was about time that I wrote my story, because it is so unique. Hope you have as much fun reading it as I did living it.