Maylan Studart

Wow.... It's been a while since I updated my blog... As you may have noticed, a lot of things have happened and things have been hectic!! December was a very slow month, January and February was amazingly great, I got suspended for 2 weeks and came back March 12th winning a race that day, and now I lost my apprentice allowance and I am finally a regular journeyman rider!!!! WOW!!!!

 

So please understand that I didn't have the time to sit down and do my updates... Sorry! But I have amazing news. It's so amazing, it feels like a dream. I never thought that my efforts to succeed in my profession would draw so much attention. It is so satisfying, because ever since I started working as a jockey, I have been trying so hard to be recognized for my efforts, for my dedication, my focus, and I cannot believe I finally got what I always wanted. It is so unbelievable that it's overwhelming.

 

This month, actually now that I am writing this, all these great things have happened in the month of my birthday - March... I just got goosebumps now... Anyways, this month I was featured on the cover of The New York Times, the greatest most prestigious newspaper in the world!!!!!!! Not only there was a huge article with giant color pictures in The New York Times, I was on the cover!!!! In colors!!! A picture of me and my favorite horse Katskill Bay, a horse which I rode in the New York Stallion Stakes this week and finished 3rd. I would like to take the time here to thank the reporter Cara Buckley. Cara, thank you so much for your interest in my story and for giving me such an importance in the newspaper!!! Your story has gotten so much attention, the repercussions are huge!!! I have been contacted by so many people because of it!!! It was a great day when Cara and Chris, the photographer, spent it with me at Aqueduct Racetrack. The most amazing thing was the perfect timing. The day she came to interview me was the day I had a shot to win my 40th race - the race that would turn me from an apprentice to a full-fledged jockey. So, like it's the horses who have to win the races and not the jockey, when I went out there on Spa Princess as a favorite, all I could do was put her in the best position to win. It was a perfect race!! We basically ran the same race as we did the last time we won (I have won with her once before). As soon as I crossed the wire, I didn't know if I should've smile or cry - it was bitter sweet... Winning a race, but losing the bug (it's what we in horse racing call turning from apprentice to jockey).

 

A new phase has begun. I always try not to think negative, I always stay positive, because that is the only way to happiness, so I just opened up a big smile and thought about my future racing with the best jockeys in the world, competing head to head, showing them and the world my capabilities, I thought about how many more things I am going to learn, both technically and spiritually in this competitive business and I thought about how exciting and challenging the new obstacles will be. What is life without obstacles to overcome? What is victory without achieving it with full merit? Before I started racing horses, I did show-jumping. I always face the obstacles and jump over them. G-d knows and teaches us to face our obstacles and jump them, face our problems and overcome them. G-d only gives us what we can handle, so my next goal is to stay successful. This one is a tough one! Everyone knows, or at least should know that achieving success and stardom may be relatively easy compared to staying on top and staying successful. Let's face it - how many one-hit-wonders have we heard from the 80's that have disapeared from the face of the earth!!!

 

My next goal is making it as a jockey in Belmont Park. It may be impossible to some, but the way I think of it is if I have been through what I've been through since I started in Brazil taking the bus in my helmet and boots holding a whip at 4:50 in the morning to got to work at the Jockey Club Brasileiro track, and having to pay to go to work during the 11 months I was riding there, I think there is nothing I can't face and find a way to succeed. I will need help, like I always did. From trainers, from my jockey friends that give me words of wisdom, from my friends and family to support me. And now my fans!!! Support from my fans is a major thing because it's like fuel when you're out there. You want to do good for everybody, you want them to win and you want to feel like you've accomplished something. The biggest help of all that I have had is G-d's help. He has kept me so focused, so protected; He is the one who is synchronizing everything perfectly in my life, from the suspension to the 40th win with the New York Times. He is the wheel in the sky that keeps on turning, He is the Almighty Who can give and take life, He is the one who has His golden hands surrounding me in a shell when I go out there on that track every single day and protects me from any physical harm and bad thoughts. I am Jewish, so every morning I say the Mode Ani thanking Him for another great opportunity to get out of the house and make a difference in the world and in my own life. I thank Him for another brand new day to start new things and I ask Him for His protection. G-d is in me at all times and He is the reason for my strength. I have G-d on my side, so like I said, it may be impossible to some, but with G-d's help, nothing is impossible. If He thinks that my destiny is New York and Belmont Park, then I will certainly succeed.

 

Thanks to the New York Times, I have had the best start in this new phase as a professional jockey. I have received so many calls from magazines and newspapers around the world. Also from TV networks too!!! I am being recognized in my own country, as a brazilian athlete representing greatly and proudly my nation! I have been contacted by one of the largest newspapers in Brasil the Folha de São Paulo for an interview, also by two of the biggest best-selling magazines in Brasil the Isto É magazine and Veja magazine (which is the 3rd largest weekly magazine in the world!!!). And the TV networks - the largest TV network in Brasil and one of the largest in Latin America, the Rede Globo, has contacted me and they want to do a piece for the daily sports show they have called "Globo Esporte", and possibly the evening news the "Jornal Nacional"!!! And here in America, ABC News is interviewing me tomorrow!!!! They will do a few takes of me working the horses in the morning, my daily routine and it will be on later in the day. Back in Brasil there is this channel called GNT (part of Rede Globo) which has a show called "Manhattan Connection" about international news and I was featured in it this week!!! And I didn't even know!!! My mom called two days ago saying that she was watching and all of the sudden she saw a picture of me in the show and they were talking about how I am a young jockey from Brazil who is making a name for herself in New York. So as you can see, the repercussions from the New York Times were HUGE!!!

 

All I hope what comes out of all this attention is that it helps jumpstart this new phase, my professional jockey career. Lord knows I will keep my focus; I will try to learn as much as I can, absorb as much information as I can and I leave the rest up to Him. He always knows best.

 

I want to thank again all my friends who have been with me throughout my journey, who I shared laughs with, who I cried with, rejoiced with had fun with and worked with. My great friends John Da Silva, Manoel Cruz, Joe Ceraulo, Michael Jablow, Rodrigo Ubillo, Stanley Gold, Barry Downes, Vinnie De Palo, Edgar Prado, Jorge Chavez, Jaqueline Davis, Freddy down at Calder, JJ Graci, Isaac Jiminez, Cara Buckley, and my friends in Brasil, Cesar Gustavo Netto, Sasá, Mr. Mileno, Dr. Afonso, Dr. Macedo, Viviane, Patricia Renno and so many people who have be there with me supporting me in their own way. Of course, I owe it all to mom and dad, who with everything going wrong for them still found a way to raise me and my brother and did a pretty darn good job!!!

 

So this Thursday I ride in a Stakes race again!!! The featured race at Aqueduct - 8th race I ride Dr. DFC, trainer by the great trainer Rodrigo Ubillo, someone who believed in me as much as Michael Jablow did down at Calder Race Course. He is another angel G-d place in my life and I am eternally grateful to him for giving me the best chances to win.

 

Make sure to watch ABC News in the evening at 6p.m on April 1st too! It's no joke!!!

 

 

Now that I am a journeyman rider I will have a bit more free time to update my blog more often, if you know what I mean... Lol...! So I will try harder to keep all my friends posted and will put up new pictures too!! Here are links to the interviews I have mentioned here and also a couple I didn't;

 

 - New York Times, March 27th 2009:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/nyregion/27jockey.html?scp=1&sq=maylan%20studart&st=cse

 

 - ESPN.com, March 27th 2009

 

 - The Daily News, March 29th 2009

 

 - ESPN.com, December 29th 2009

 

 - New York Post, November 22nd 2008

 

 - NYRA (New York Racing Association), January 2009

 

 

 

 

 

                     MAYLAN STUDART

 

 

Well, the interview went AMAZING as you can see, and I still can't believe I was in their studio being watched live in the whole world and even by my family in Brazil!!!! They watched me live, and it's been around 7 months since my family has seen me, so this was a wonderful oportunity for that!!!! To see how "grown up" I am!!!

 

I added more pictures, now that I finally bought a camera!!! Man!! All this time it's been cell phone pictures and pics from friends and stuff...

 

I thank you very much for taking the time to look around the website and get to know me a little better and to get to know my work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a certain delay for me to get on the show today, so I was transfered for tomorrow, December 2nd, same channel, same time. So, recap: live interview on FNC on December 2nd at 8:30 a.m. on the Fox & Friends show.

 

 

Woohoooo!!!!

 

Again!!!!!

 

 

I WAS JUST INVITED TO APPEAR LIVE ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IN THEIR MORNING SHOW FOX & FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

HOW COOL IS THAT!???!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

When I was still in Brasil, I used to watch FNC every single day!!!!!!! I looooooove Bill O'Reilly, Shepperd Smith, Alan Colmes, and the girls like Gretchen, Megyn Kelly and Greta!!!! Greta is like, so serious..... She might be the female version of Bill actually, now that I'm think about it....

 

OMG, and I'M GONNA MEET THE FOX & FRIENDS CAST!!!!!!! AND SIT ON THEIR SOFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA OF HOW MANY TIMES I PICTURED MYSELF IN THE FOX NEWS STUDIO!!!!! I kinda thought to myself "Do you think you are ever gonna get there? Being interview by the biggest newsteam on the planet?" AND I CANNOT BELEIVE THE MOMENT IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND SO SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANT' BELIEVE FNC RECOGNIZED MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Steve is so cool!!!!!!!!!!! He is sooooo blonde!!! I love that!!!!! And Brian!!!! And Gretchen and all the friends!!!!!!! The show is so cool and fun and I love the combo of the news and fun!!!!!! I think that's the whole show, like it wouldn't be the same if a cast member is missing because they are all great together!!!!

 

 

I AM SO FLATTERED TO BE ON THE SHOW AND IT WILL BE: THIS NEXT MONDAY, DECEMBER 1st 2008 in the morning at 8:30 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. I love Shepperd Smith!!!!

P.P.S. I hope they still have those "Don't taze me bro" bumber stickers in stock!!! I'll NEVER forget that!!!!!

 

 You know, after everything that happened in the past 6 months in my life (amazing how everything can change in such a short period of time), I am just plane thankful to G-d that I oficially, at the age of 19, accomplished my dreams. I have been wishing these things for years and just thinking positive (very important) so that G-d  would give me the strength to keep fighting for what I want in my life so I can fulfill my dreams.

I left in Brasil my whole family - my mom, dad, husband, brother and pets - because I HAD to in my mind. It was my calling. If I didn't leave th country and go back to the United States like I wanted to ever since I left California, I would be so miserable. I had to know if I could make it there. Not only did I have to know, but I HAD to make it. I wasn't going to rest until I made it in America. Deep in my heart I could make it. G-d gave me so much strength and courage and patience and so many signs for me to follow my calling that I knew if I just kept trusting Him, He would take me to my destiny. It is so funny sometimes, because talking like this some people would be saying,"Signs? Destiny? This girl has some issues!". But the ones who were there in the moments of my life when all these signs were appearing know that I am supposed to be where I am now. In New York, riding with the best jockeys in the world, sharing the spotlight with them. I cannot compare myself with these great riders, but I can assure you that every one of them have a long story of struggle behind them too.

 

 You see, the key is to aim high. If you set low goals, you may achieve them, yes. And maybe sooner than you would achieve a very high goal. But if you aim high and try with your heart, with your soul, with your mind, like a horse who wears blinkers ("antolhos" em português), even if you don't reach your highest goal, you will still get so much furthur than you would if you aimed low. Life is about setting goals, fulfillment, happiness - life is about living. And we achieve that setting goals and enjoying every little moment of breakthrough in that journey, because life is made of those little moments, like a puppy playing around, like a horse coming from last place down the stretch to catch up to the front-runner and beat him at the wire in the photo, like someone looking in your eyes saying "I love you so much". We do everything we do in search of happiness. That is why I had to leave everything behind in search of something in me.

 

 When I was living in Brazil, I never lived alone in my life. I either lived with my mom and brother and pets or with my husband. I was completely dependent on everybody. My husband said "You are not going alone there, you can barely make yourself breakfast! How will you live by yourself?". Well, I had that doubt too, but good for me that I am a little stubborn... If you tell me that something is impossible to do, that I can't do it, you just give me motivation to do it. I told my husband "Do you really think so? Well you will see that I can handle myself in any situation anywhere in the world. Because I trust in G-d and I trust in myself. You will see!" He laughed. It was kind of funny anyways... Well, we were supposed to come together in our adventure to America, but it just didn't happen the way we wanted it to. And I belive things happen for a reason. The amount of personal spiritual growth that I experienced living by myself in Miami is something that I am so thankful to G-d for. I couldn't ask for more enlightenment. I never knew I could feel so confortable and happy living by myself trying to make ends meet and my life work the way I want it to. One thing that never left my mind and will never leave it - G-d is always with me, reassuring me, giving me the strength and wisdom to deal with situations as they come. You may plan your whole life how you want it, but like The Rolling Stones sang, "You can't always get what you want". My parents also said that too...

 

 There is a very important saying that I live by: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Because there are just some forces of nature that we can't control. Picture this, you are in love with someone so much, you would give your life to that person, but that person just doesn't want to be with you. What are you going to do? Make that person love you? Impossible, because some forces of nature are just out of our reach. If there is a field full of lemons, will you cry about not having strawberries or will you celebrate having a big field full of lemons? I would certainly be partying making margaritas!! Just kiding! I would celebrate the field full of lemons. This is something I recomend to my friends - always think positive, makethe most out of your little moments, have the glass always half full. We are alive, we are healthy, we have people who love us and think of us. Forget about the other things like the jealous people and the loneliness, because that will just consume you inside and keep you from being happy and seeing the bigger picture.

 

 You don't know how many dejavous I have had lately showing that everything I did in the past in my life I was supposed to do to be where I am now. And I didn't even know it back then. Everything happens for a reason. For example, I couldn't come with my husband to America maybe because I had to go through this pesonal spiritual growth alone, to find my inner strength, trust in myself, be independent. Now I am ready for his arrival and maybe if we went through that together our relationship would've struggled and maybe not survived, because each person has their own timing, timing to learn, timing to do things. And another example, I went through so much while I was working at Jockey Club Brasileiro (brazilian track in Rio de Janeiro) from prejudice to disrespect from my coleagues, to being used to gallop 20 horses a day and being promised so much and getting abolutely nothing, not even a thank you. But like I said before, the people who were there with me, rooting for me, helping me, giving me advice, they know that there had to have something larger, something waiting for me to be going through all that. Because things happen for a reason. While I was in JCB, I was riding the horses and everything and I just kept my mind focused that I was making myself a better rider - I was making an investment. I wouldn't go through everything I was going through for nothing. I was making an investment. And looking back now, it was a very good one!!! With G-d helping me focus on the bigger picture and my will power, I am living my dream. At 19 years old. How lucky am I? All I can do is be greatful. And what makes me even happier and gives me a warmth in my stomach is how many wonderful people I have met. I have been so, so fortunate to have met such wonderful people, been surrounded by ones who want to see my success, who think I'm important in the world, that let me know I am not in the world alone fending for myself. If it weren't for them, maybe I wouldn't have made it, because we live in a society. We are never alone. Even if you think you can do anything and you don't need anybody's help, at the end of the road, you probably will.

 

 This was a reflection of a couple of things on my mind that I wanted to share with my friends who visit my website. I want everybody to experience the feelings I experience. The feelings of gratefulness, fulfilment, happiness, warmth... Even if you have nothing to do with horse racing and don't understand how our business works, life is just the same - work is work, friendship is important, we like to feel needed and we are all looking for happiness.

 

 I thank you for taking the time to read this and hope it may be an incentive for when you are down, because when you are, just think of the things you have - your mom, your brothers and sisters, your children, your health, your house, your job, your friends.... The list is endless. And another think - think of Barack Obama. We all know his story.

 

 

 

                  "What goes around, comes around"

 

 

 

 

I'M IN NEW YORK AND I AM READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!

 

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!