You never know where life will take you- jockeys

[clicknow]

This is so weird.

UPS man just came to my door with a package.

He was older, probably 60s or acutally, older? Very trim...... and very short. Those 2 things really stood out to me.

So after I thanked him, I joked (after having french toast for breakfast and feeling weighted):

"Darn! You are in great shape. I should get a job with UPS so I can stay fit. I guess you are doing a lot of running around all day!"


He said: "Thank you. I used to be a jockey."

I told him what a huge horse racing fan I am, and asked his name.

Turns out he was Bobby Neal Lester. Mariah Storm's jockey. They were a good team!

[CheckMark]

Originally Posted by clicknow

This is so weird.

UPS man just came to my door with a package.

He was older, probably 60s or acutally, older? Very trim...... and very short. Those 2 things really stood out to me.

So after I thanked him, I joked (after having french toast for breakfast and feeling weighted):

"Darn! You are in great shape. I should get a job with UPS so I can stay fit. I guess you are doing a lot of running around all day!"


He said: "Thank you. I used to be a jockey."

I told him what a huge horse racing fan I am, and asked his name.

Turns out he was Bobby Neal Lester. Mariah Storm's jockey. They were a good team!

No photo match? Lol just kidding Cool story!

[clicknow]

I was unable to find a biography on him so don't know his age. If anyone does know I'd be curious. All I know is he started riding in 1984 and has 14,732 starts.

To come out of a TB jockey career after that many rides, and still in one piece (enough to do the job he was doing today, climbing stairs, leaping in and out of trucks, lifting heavy packages) is a testimony that this guy is BIONIC.

Very admirable, in fact.

[senortout]

Originally Posted by clicknow

I was unable to find a biography on him so don't know his age. If anyone does know I'd be curious. All I know is he started riding in 1984 and has 14,732 starts.

To come out of a TB jockey career after that many rides, and still in one piece (enough to do the job he was doing today, climbing stairs, leaping in and out of trucks, lifting heavy packages) is a testimony that this guy is BIONIC.

Very admirable, in fact.

HINT: search on Robert, not Bobby
11/23/95 Mariah's Storm 1st D Von Hemel CD 9 1 1/8 m D 0 3+ F Mariah's Storm Alcvoy Heavenliness 1:51.37
10/28/95 Mariah's Storm 9th D Von Hemel Bel 4 1 1/8 m D 0 3 F Inside Information Heavenly Prize Lakeway 1:46.15
10/08/95 Mariah's Storm 3rd D Von Hemel Kee 8 1 1/8 m D 0 3+ F Inside Information Jade Flush Mariah's Storm 1:50.01
09/30/95 Instant Stardom 1st K Von Hemel Wds 9 1 1/16 m D 0 3 F Instant Stardom Ascertain Bride Adarec 1:50.40
09/23/95 Mariah's Storm 1st D Von Hemel TP 9 1 1/16 m D 0 3+ F Mariah's Storm Serena's Song Alcovy 1:41.67
View Details 09/04/95 Mariah's Storm 1st D Von Hemel AP 9 0 3+ F Mariah's Storm Mysteriously Minority Dater 1:50.98
08/13/95 Mariah's Storm 1st D Von Hemel AP 10 6 1/2 f D 0 3+ F Mariah's Storm Traverse City Little May 1:15.45
08/11/95 Aamoo 2nd E Williams Wds 8 1 1/8 m D 0 3+ M Alla Bon Bon Aamoo Ski Black Diamond 1:52.40
07/29/95 Aamoo 2nd E Williams Aks 5 1 70y D 0 4+ M El Tranchete Aamoo Chinka Chank Chank 1:43.00

[cj]

Pick these up for his next delivery

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/dp/B00F3TX3J8

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Lester.../dp/B00QX0HCYI

You can see the back of a card on this page which lists his birthday.

https://www.tcdb.com/Gallery.cfm/sid...r?PageIndex=14

Signed,

CJ the Google Sleuth

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by cj

Pick these up for his next delivery

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/dp/B00F3TX3J8

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Lester.../dp/B00QX0HCYI

You can see the back of a card on this page which lists his birthday.

https://www.tcdb.com/Gallery.cfm/sid...r?PageIndex=14

Signed,

CJ the Google Sleuth

Thank you so much! For $4 bucks, I think I WILL pick up the card. It would be a nice thing to flip to him if he should come to my doorstep again. I'll just write THANK YOU on it.

I figured he was around 60.....I was off by only 1 year (I'm pretty good at guessing ages, people have told me I should do it at the county fairs to raise money for dog rescue)....I had put "or older" because a lot of people who work outside have a lot of sun damage. I see that in a lot of exercize riders as well.

Anyway, thank a whole bunch, CJ.

[Track Phantom]

[woodbinepmi]

Knew Bobby from his riding days in Texas.

[BarchCapper]

There's a Bobby Lester-Vic Stauffer connection (though short-lived):

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...day-at-oaklawn

It was also interesting to see that Lester was away from riding (at least as recorded by Equibase) for over a year. After a second-place finish at Prairie Meadows on September 12th of 1998 (having a decent year: 526 starts - 14% winners), he does not show another mount until having two at Oaklawn on February 4th of 2000, a year when he would have over 500 mounts again, but with only 6% winners.

He had a few more years with 500+ mounts, but 1998 was his last "good" year.

Last recorded win: 10/16/04 at Great Lakes Downs
Last recorded mount: 2/10/08 at Oaklawn

[Millpond68]

I found a old program that belonged to my wife for the 1963 Kentucky Derby. It has an autograph from a jockey that rode the 2 horse (Investor) in the derby. Has anyone ever heard of him? I cannot find any info at all.