Patricia Cooksey
Encyclopedia
Patricia Joen Cooksey (born February 25, 1958 in Youngstown, Ohio
) is an American horse racing
jockey
. She first won with Turf Advisor at Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Park) in 1979. She is a four-time Turfway Park
leading rider. Cooksey has won 2,137 wins since beginning her career in 1979. She was the all-time leading female jockey by number of victories before Julie Krone
overtook her.
In 2004, she became the first ever female jockey to be voted the NYRA's
Mike Venezia Memorial Award
, an honor given annually to a jockey
who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.
Patricia now lives in Shelbyville, Kentucky
with her daughter, Chelsea Neal. She is retired from racing and currently works for the Kentucky Racing Commission.
In 2006, she was a horse-back riding reporter for ESPN
's coverage of the 2006 Breeders Cup.
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
) is an American horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
. She first won with Turf Advisor at Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Park) in 1979. She is a four-time Turfway Park
Turfway Park
Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati...
leading rider. Cooksey has won 2,137 wins since beginning her career in 1979. She was the all-time leading female jockey by number of victories before Julie Krone
Julie Krone
Julie Krone , is a retired American jockey. In 1993, she became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race when she captured the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair...
overtook her.
In 2004, she became the first ever female jockey to be voted the NYRA's
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
Mike Venezia Memorial Award
Mike Venezia Memorial Award
Mike Venezia Memorial Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually by the New York Racing Association to honor a jockeys who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship...
, an honor given annually to a jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.
Patricia now lives in Shelbyville, Kentucky
Shelbyville, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,085 people, 3,822 households, and 2,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,333.5 people per square mile . There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile...
with her daughter, Chelsea Neal. She is retired from racing and currently works for the Kentucky Racing Commission.
In 2006, she was a horse-back riding reporter for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's coverage of the 2006 Breeders Cup.