October 25th 2023.
Cheryl White made history when she became the first licensed Black female jockey in America in 1971. Now, her story is being told in a new book, The Jockey and Her Horse, written by her brother Raymond White Jr. and Sarah Maslin-Nir, a reporter from The New York Times. This book, which was released on September 5, is aimed to inspire middle school-aged children to follow their dreams.
Maslin-Nir said in an interview with KVPR that she met White's family in 2021 and came up with the idea to write a book about her, as well as create a toy so that the next generation of children can learn her story. KVPR noted that the Breyer model horse company, which is a legacy model toy company, made the first ever real Black equestrian in its 75 year history and it is a little Cheryl and her winning horse, Jetolara. The toy comes with the book as a gift package.
White had 750 career wins, and her brother described her as the “Serena and Venus [Williams] of her time.” However, Maslin-Nir explained that White was marginalized and “pushed out of the sport of thoroughbred racing” because of her race and gender. As a result, she spent most of her career riding in smaller events like the county fair circuit.
White passed away in 2019, leaving behind a legacy of excellence and determination. Her story, as told in the new book and represented by the toy, will serve as an inspiration for many years to come.
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