Jamie Theriot (born January 30, 1979 in

Arnaudville, Louisiana Arnaudville is a town in St. Landry and St. Martin parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The St. Martin Parish portion of Arnaudville is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, while the St. Landry Parish portion is part of the ...

) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

former jockey. The son of

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

Harold Theriot, he is a nephew of jockey

Larry Melancon Larry J. Melancon (August 7, 1955 – 25 March 2021) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who rode primarily on the Kentucky-Arkansas circuit. Melancon (pronounced ''Ma-lawn-son'') was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He began ...

. Theriot, who began riding on

bush track Bush track is a term used in horse racing to describe unsanctioned, informal horse races run in rural areas of the United States and southern Canada. Quarter horses, ridden by amateur jockeys, are raced on makeshift tracks, often set up in the fi ...

s in his native Louisiana, turned professional at age 16. He competed primarily on the Louisiana-Arkansas-Kentucky racing circuit, where he won a riding title at

Evangeline Downs Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino is a racetrack in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, just east of Opelousas. It is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming. With a one-mile oval track, the facility provides close to 1,000 horse stalls for Thoroughbre ...

in 2001 and the 2003 riding title at

Oaklawn Park Race Track Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, formerly Oaklawn Park Race Track, is an American thoroughbred racetrack and casino in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to "The Racing Festival of the South", a four-day series of races that concludes with the A ...

. In 2007, Theriot won his first

Grade 1 First grade (also called Grade One, called '' Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples b ...

race, capturing the

Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes The Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and older over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting. ...

aboard Purim at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

. On May 17, 2008, he rode in his first

American Classic ''American Classic'' is the 57th studio album by American country music artist Willie Nelson, released on August 25, 2009. It focuses on the American popular songbook and standard jazz classics, and includes guest appearances by Norah Jones and ...

, taking sixth place aboard Kentucky Bear in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs ...

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

. That June 18, he became the seventh rider in

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

history to ride six winners in a single day. In 2009, he won two Grade II races aboard

Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for ...

Accident

On May 23, 2009, Theriot was aboard Sky Mom in the Grade III Arlington Matron at

Arlington Park Arlington International Racecourse (formerly Arlington Park, the name was Arlington Park Jockey Club from as soon as 1948 up to 1955) was a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago reg ...

when she angled to the outside and clipped Born To Be, ridden by

René Douglas René ('' born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name (Renée being the feminin ...

. Born To Be clipped the horse running in front of her, knocking her unconscious and throwing Douglas headfirst into the track, paralyzing her from the waist down. Theriot was suspended for 30 days.

Yearly relative earnings

Notes

Jamie Theriot's biography at Keeneland

June 19, 2008 NTRA article titled ''Theriot bags six winners at Churchill''

Churchill Downs story titled ''Sizzling Theriot Soars in Spring Jockey Standings''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Theriot, Jamie 1979 births Living people American jockeys Cajun jockeys People from Arnaudville, Louisiana