Former jockey, current outrider and recent newsmaker KAYMARIE KREIDEL is this week’s very deserving SheHero. Kaymarie made headlines at Pimlico Race Course with her spectacular catch of Bodexpress, who had catapulted rider John Velazquez at the start of the 144th Preakness Stakes.
While she handled her instant celebrity with humility and grace, Kaymarie is no stranger to the Mid-Atlantic racing community. With over 2,529 career starts, 190 wins and over $3 million in earnings, Kaymarie rode races from 1991 – 2006. She still gallops horses in the mornings and works as an outrider in the afternoons.
Then as now, her entire life has revolved around horses. She has retrained many – the majority of them OTTBs – as lead ponies, several of whom have done double duty as competition mounts. Trey Bear (pictured) has had tremendous success as a jumper and event horse and was also Kaymarie’s mount in the inaugural Real Rider Cup fundraiser in 2017.
One glance at Kaymarie’s social media accounts and it’s plain to see that her animals are her pride and joy. Frequently lauded and congratulated for an outstanding day’s work on the racetrack, she never hesitates to instead heap praise and credit on her “superponies.” According to Kaymarie, Witch Hunter, her mount on Preakness Day, is the real star.
Facebook posts regularly keep her friends and followers apprised of the progress and development of her newest projects. And all have fallen in love with Butterscotch, the goat who has become her barn mascot and stolen her heart.
While Kaymarie is greatly admired and looked up to for her horsemanship and professionalism, she is perhaps most respected by her greatest accomplishment – her son T.J. Aguirre. Now 23, T.J. followed in his mother’s footsteps as an exercise rider and recently took out his own trainer’s license.
Next up for Kaymarie is a return engagement in the third annual Real Rider Cup, a celebrity charity event which raises funds for Thoroughbred aftercare. To learn more about the event – and about Kaymarie – follow the links below.
https://www.therealridercup.com/
https://sports.nbcsports.com/tag/2019-preakness-stakes/
https://equineink.com/2019/05/19/kaymarie-kreidel-and-witch-hunter-the-mvps-of-the-preakness/