Did you know? World Champion jockey - Jenny Langhard interview

  • Published on January 17, 2023

Hi Jenny! 👋🏽

We are delighted to be interviewing you, thank you for taking the time. Before we start, could you please present yourself?

My name is Jenny Langhard and I am 25 years old. I am currently studying part-time at the University of Education in Switzerland. I also ride in a stable and work as a businesswoman in an office. I got my licence in 2016 and have been racing since then. The highlight of my career was the recent victory in the Fegentri World Championship 2022.


How did your horse racing journey start? 🏇🏼Did you have a role model? 

I sometimes went to the racetrack with my father, who had a trotter back then. But my interest was mainly focused on the gallop races. I didn’t ride horses for a long time. At some point I found the courage to call a trainer and ask if I could come and see him. I was fascinated by the thoroughbreds. I spent every free day in the racing stable.

To be honest, I did not have a role model. At the beginning, I did not know the scene, the industry. Nevertheless, since I have been seing a lot and like to take things from different jockeys for myself.


How was the start of your amateur riding career? When did you decide to participate in the Fegentri championship? 🌎

In Switzerland, you can register for the amateur licence exam with a recommendation from a coach, I therefore, passed this exam and then started racing. In 2021, I won the amateur championship in Switzerland and was therefore nominated to ride for Switzerland in the Fegentri championship.


How did your Fegentri season go? 

The Fegentri season was an absolute highlight throughout the whole season.

At the beginning it was interesting to be there at all. Antonia got off to a brilliant start in Sweden. (I was not at the start). After that, I was there too and somehow it just went incredibly well. Some horses that didn’t look very interesting on paper were able to perform at their best in the Fegentri races, so that I was able to steadily collect points and catch up with Antonia. After that it was very exciting and a neck-and-neck race between the two of us. Then, of course, came the ambition and the hope to be in the running for the title.


Tell us about your last race in Mauritius and winning the world championship. What does it represent for you? 🏆

The race in Mauritius was the absolute highlight. Because of the outsider role, the title seemed out of reach. But as is sometimes the case in racing, everything turns out differently than you think. When we crossed the finish line, emotions ran high, of course. Winning is always nice, but this was something completely different.


Almost every ambitious amateur dreams of representing his country in the Fegentri Trophy. It makes me proud that I was able to bring the title to such a small racing country like Switzerland. In addition to the title, of course, there are all the experiences we had in the different countries. These are moments that no one can take away from you and that make Fegentri so unique for the participants.


How do you see the industry moving forward when it comes to women's employment and recognition?

It is difficult to judge this from Switzerland. Because of the weight, we have many more female riders than male riders. Nevertheless, the men still dominate in the bigger races. It definitely needs both. Both in the stable and on the track. But I sincerely hope that in the future women will also have better chances in bigger races. But it’s the same everywhere. Changing always takes time!


What are your views on employment in the horse racing industry? How does WorkinRacing help the industry in your opinion?  🔍

In Switzerland, all race riders work in the stable or have another job besides racing. Since we only have a limited number of races, you don’t earn enough just by riding races. I think that WorkinRacing platform offers a good basis as a network for racing. Since we only have a few people who are trained as work riders, we are dependent on employees from abroad. In order to get these people, however, we lack a platform where we can advertise the jobs, that is where WorkinRacing comes in!


How does the future look like for you? What are your aspirations, dreams and next steps? 🔮

I don’t know what my future looks like at the moment. I have achieved a big goal by winning the world championship. I want to continue to ride races and of course win as much as possible. It is also fun to go riding abroad from time to time. If the opportunity arises in the future, I won’t say no.


What are your objectives this season? 🎯

Riding as many races as possible in 2023!