Rein man

He looks to horse power to take him lengths ahead in his profession. "This is my third year as a professional jockey,” says Zervan Suratia of Poona. Riding in Bombay, Bangalore, Calcutta and Poona, Suratia (who rides under the name S. Zervan) has raced thoroughbreds for top trainers like Pesi Shroff, Dallas Toddywalla, S. K. Sunderji, Vinayak, Nina Lalvani and Sandeep Manglorkar. "I have been lucky enough to be retained as a jockey to Five Star Shipping (racing magnate Khushroo Dhunjibhoy’s company. Dhunjibhoy also owns the Nanoli Stud Farm in Poona). I have also ridden a bit for Dr Vijay Mallya,” Suratia says.

The jockey’s track record so far includes winning the Piaggio Apemini Sprint Million, The A. C. Arde­shir Trophy (Grade 3), The Calcutta Juvenile Sprint and The Havovi Khusro Jalnawala Memorial Juvenile Million which Suratia won on August 7, 2011 in Poona astride Cardinal. Describing the race, www.racing pulse.in wrote: "If ever there was any debut (of a horse) which could leave race-goers awestruck and be etched in their memory forever, Shroff-trained Cardinal did exactly that. The chestnut colt, bred at the Poonawalla Stud Farms, was hopelessly placed as Ashwa Prabir brought the large field into the straight… Such was the brute force with which Cardinal annihilated his rivals that jockey S. Zervan, who replaced (injured) B. Prakash in the saddle, will probably remember this ride for a long time to come and so would the racing fraternity.”

Racing in July in Calcutta, "visiting jockey S. Zervan was in his element, when he reeled off a treble (three wins),” reported The Telegraph, July 31. Starting off with an "armchair ride” on Darius Byramji’s Admiral in the 1,000 m Pickwick Handicap, Zervan won the Flying Glance Handicap on Sokudo and the 1,400 m Reliable Trophy, the feature event of the afternoon, astride Caribbean Queen (trained by Shroff), the Calcutta paper added.

Zervan Suratia on Cardinal (above left) and receiving certificate from Irish trainer John Oxx. (Alongside): Suratia (extreme right holding trophy) with Pesi Shroff and Gautam Lala (3rd and 4th from left). At far left is Shivlal Daga

Riding since he was three years old, Suratia swung into the saddle as an apprentice jockey at the age of 18, wanting to ride in India as a professional. "I was a trainee apprentice for three years before I got my apprentice jockey license. The first 10 days were the toughest and I really mean the toughest, as I had never ridden so many and such strong horses before! Each and every part of my body was aching to such an extent that I was walking around like a robot!” he describes. Muscling up will power, he hung on. "I did think to myself that this is not meant for me and that I would not get through this. Every day I told myself that I will try it out for one more day and that’s how I stuck on,” he relates.

Adding to the stress and strain was the fact that jockeys have to keep their weight down, below the 50 kg mark. "Sometimes this gets a little difficult as I am one of the taller jockeys,” he adds. You have to be a little more alert and attentive in horse racing (compared to other professional pursuits) as you are dealing with high-spirited, high-stepping majestic animals and not with machines, he asserts. The explosion of energy within a short span of minutes, amidst the flying of hooves and the straining of sinew, means mistakes are inevitable. "We progress by learning from our mistakes and by trying not to repeat them. We are all inspired by the best. I am inspired by two of the top jockeys in Indian horse racing who are both successful trainers today — Shroff and Malesh Narredu. I am also inspired by anyone who has had a rough start, but has worked his way to the top. It’s the do-or-die attitude that I admire,” he declares. The 23-year-old has undergone an advanced jockeys course in Ireland.

It was Zervan’s parents, Phiroze and Benoifer, who spurred the lad when he was but a schoolboy. "During my first years of riding I enjoyed it the most. It was just a hobby, a way to spend time away from hectic school life and studies,” he recalls. Riding for recreation turned into more serious coasting past competitors! He started participating in junior national and national equestrian championships and horse shows in different parts of India in show jumping and dressage. "I got my first horse called Yazdaan when I was only 15 years old. He was my favorite and together we competed and won in many competitions. He was a gem of a horse and my entire family was very proud of Yazdaan,” he asserts.

"It is Zervan’s passion for horses and very deep desire from childhood to be a jockey that has led him to choose this off-the-beaten-track profession,” says his mother. Phiroze owns and runs an electric goods store called Ahura Mazda Electric on Main Street (M.G. Road). Benoifer is a connoisseur of old glass artefacts (see "The original live wires,” Parsiana, August 7, 2011). Zervan’s sibling Raian has just completed his schooling. The track ahead is long and Zervan believes in riding to his strengths and overcoming the odds in the highly competitive and unpredictable world of thoroughbred racing.