AS SHE signed her contract to become a brand ambassador for Q8Oils yesterday, jockey Abigail Able said she is grateful for the brand opportunity and that she is capable of greatness.
“Well, I’m literally feeling grateful,” she said. “Honestly, I’m feeling so grateful that they chose me because there are a lot of other jockeys there and they chose me to do the job.”
Speaking after she signed her contract at the head office of Bearings and Accessories in downtown Kingston yesterday, Able said that this is a major step in her riding career as she continues to aim for greatness on and off the track.
A female jockey in a male-dominated sport, Able said she has built great relationships with not just her team, but her fellow jockeys in the pursuit of her goals.
“Honestly, I just try to work with everyone’s flow because as you know, you can’t please everyone. I just try to work with everyone and try to get along well with them to see how best we can achieve as much as possible in a male-dominated sport. I am aiming for greatness, my goal doesn’t stop here so you shall be seeing more of me,” Able said.
Sitting alongside Able as she signed her contract was Raymond Rousseau, chairman of Bearings and Accessories Limited.
A massive fan of horse racing himself, Rousseau said his choice for Able to become a brand ambassador for the company stemmed from her stellar track record as a jockey as well as Able’s good standing with the late trainer Wayne DaCosta.
“When Abby wins races, which is obviously a happy and joyous time for anyone, I like the way she conducts herself in the winner’s enclosure. You see how quiet and humble she is and not making it all about herself, and she recognises it’s also about the horse. I just like the way how she stands behind the animal and not put herself in front,” Rousseau said.
“She was around my very dear friend Wayne DaCosta for a long time and she is with his son now. There has been no break in their working arrangements and those are people I hold in very high standards so that says a lot about her character so I don’t need to say any more about that,” he added.
Able worked with Wayne DaCosta as an apprentice and credited the late trainer for her successes in the sport.