Emma-Jayne Wilson (born September 1, 1981) is a

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...

and Eclipse Award-winning

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

. She began taking riding lessons at age nine, and after finishing high school in Brampton, she studied equine management at Kemptville College, part of the

University of Guelph The University of Guelph (abbreviated U of G) is a comprehensive Public university, public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College (1874), the MacDonald I ...

. In 2007 aboard Mike Fox, Wilson became the first woman to win North America's oldest and Canada's most important race, the

Queen's Plate The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate from 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race and the oldest continuously run race in North America, having been founded in 1860. It is run at a distance of for a ma ...

. On September 16, 2012, Wilson joined jockey Francine Villeneuve to become only the second Canadian woman to achieve the 1,000 career victories plateau, as she rode "D'wildcat Gold" to victory in the first race at Woodbine. Three days later by taking the fifth and sixth races at Woodbine, Emma-Jayne moved ahead of Villeneuve as Canada's all-time winningest female jockey, a distinction that Villeneuve had held for over 10 years. Wilson ranks first in career earnings among Canadian women jockeys, as she has earned well over $83,000,000 in purses for her mounts. In 2015, Wilson won the Shergar Cup alongside teammates Sammy Jo Bell and Hayley Turner, marking the first victory for an all-female side in this event. In 2018, she became just the second woman to win the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award, given annually to jockeys who have made significant contributions to Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. On July 11, 2024, she won the 4th race at Woodbine, to become the highest-earning female jockey in history, surpassing the record of $90,126,584 previously held by HOF rider Julie Krone. In October 2024, Wilson suffered a neck fracture and shattered her pelvis when her mount Ready Shakespeare fell due to an apparent

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

. She was taken to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and underwent surgery to stabilize her pelvis.

Year-end charts

References

CBS Sportsline

35th Annual Eclipse Awards official website

External links

Official website

A fan first: Emma-Jayne Wilson Q&A
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Emma-Jayne 1981 births Living people Avelino Gomez Memorial Award winners Eclipse Award winners Animal sportspeople from Ontario Sportspeople from Brampton Sovereign Award winners University of Guelph alumni Canadian female jockeys 21st-century Canadian sportswomen