Nelly Korpikoski: My journey to becoming a monté jockey
I became a monté jockey in the classic way. I started riding at the age of 7 and competed in dressage as a youngster. When it was time to buy my own horse, we couldn't afford a riding horse, so I used my savings to invest in a former racehorse. I continued to compete in jumping classes, but at the same time also learnt how to control the horse from a cart. Working with this horse taught me the pleasures of riding a saddled trotter and the differences between a trotter and a riding horse. When I started vocational school, I decided to give up equestrian sport because of the expense of keeping my own horse, and instead I joined a pesäpallo team. This sport is similar to baseball and extremely popular in Finland, and for a while I considered playing as a professional. However, it wasn’t long before I found myself back at the racing stables. I started moonlighting there whilst attending school, and I was also given the responsibility of exercising the horses. When the first of those racehorse was sold, I changed stables – and soon after began my career as a monté jockey. Until I obtained my license, I just rode and groomed the horses. My first monté race was 4 June 2007, right after I got my license. In the early days of my career I drove all over Finland, testing horses. I didn't get to race all of them, but I rode a lot of them in heats to see if they were suitable for monté. That's certainly the reason I had so many opportunities at the beginning of my career. The advice I give to aspiring monté riders: be prepared to work. The road to becoming a jockey can sometimes be long and rocky, and the road to the top requires hard work.
Finally: a Finnish championship on a Finnish horse
The Finnish Championship for Finnish Horses was decided at the Forssa Royal Equestrian Games on the last weekend in July. The 16 horses with the most points from the FEI qualifiers move on to the final. In the final I rode a mare named Runoneito (“Poetess” in Finnish). I had only ridden her five times before the final, and we had won twice. We’d needed few races to get to know each other. She is very sensitive for a Finnish horse and new to the sport. On the day of the final, everything went perfectly. There were a few false starts, but they flustered our opponents more than they did us. I rode the first lap behind the frontrunner. With a lap to go, I pulled out her ear plugs and she went on a tear. I was a bit nervous about her ears, as I had never taken out the horse’s ear plugs in a monté before. The “poetess” approved and we won easily. I dreamed of this victory, even though I had won three Finnish Championships with warmbloods. In my early years, such a victory seemed unattainable. And at the end of my career I honestly didn't think it was in the cards. Now I have Finnish championship wins for both breeds, a rucksack full of other medals, and Nordic championship wins for warm-blooded and draught horses. I have achieved everything one can achieve as an amateur on unfamiliar horses. I was also able to compete several times in the Monté Elitloppet and the Oslo Monté GP, and represented Finland in the Scandinavian Championships. This sport has given me a lot.
Keeping up with life despite change
The absolute best thing about monté is the cooperation between horse and rider. It's an amazing feeling to be completely unobtrusive on the horse and yet helping the horse to achieve the best possible result. Horses are such wonderful animals that my hobby has given me a lot of strength, for example in coping with my busy everyday life. On the track, I am nobody's mother, spouse, or employee. I am also extremely competitive by nature. I love competition! I've always liked the way that monté combines speed and physical exertion. Monté is a sport that almost anyone can take up regardless of age or gender. As a mother of two young children, I can say that it hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't have done it any other way. You can try monté at trotting schools or through courses. If you’re interested, simply stop by a trotting stable. The sport also needs skilled riders. The trotters get some variety from being ridden and it nicely supplements their training. I have been working at Finntack for over 11 years. It’s a great way to mix work and my hobby. Of course it also benefitted my employer, but it has also allowed me to pursue a career as a monté jockey. My favourite product in our range is definitely the Sydney trousers! They are the best for working in the barn or for riding, and they’re also quite comfortable. I should also mention our gloves. No one makes better gloves. No matter if you're riding a horse or sledding with the kids – they are the best! I also have about a million pairs of our driving glasses and I couldn’t do without them. The electric blue driving glasses are my signature glasses. I used to always drive with two pairs – one on my nose, the other under my helmet visor. But people laughed so much that I had to stop.
A career in numbers
Starts 726 Wins 162 Second places 106 Third places 78
Nelly's favourites:
