Page 160 - 1992

Juniors
Kruger-Rozmiarek

"It's been in my family. My great grandpa had a racing stable, and
my grandma was one of the first lady jockeys.”
-Junior Diane Schneider

"I'm a hot walker
groom. Each
horse has to get
taken out for a half
an hour, we walk
them around,
wash off their feet,
put medicine on their feet, and
cool them out. It's on-the-job
training. Everything you learn
is from the trainer that you work
for. I usually get to work at
about five o'clock. During the
school season, I'm out by 7:30 so
I can get to school. During the
summer I get there at 5 o'clock
and leave about noon. Then you
go back and work until all the
chores are done. That is cleaning
out the stalls, feeding the horses,
rewrap their legs. If there is a
race that day, you have to go
back and help run races. It's
been in my family. My great
grandpa had a racing stable, and
my grandma was one of the first
lady jockeys. Most of the people
are older than me, between the
ages of 30 and 60. You don't get
paid by the hour because every articipating in the fine
hour is different. If you're a hot P art of being a girl are
walker, it averages from $135 to Seniors Jason Smithberg,
$175 a week. It depends on your Kyle Marek, Brian Bernth,
trainer. I want a career in the and Jeff Lacey. Kevin
horses when I get out of high Kopecky coached them
school. You have to like the track. through this fall pep rally
I've been around horses all my event.
life. I get along real well with
horses and people so you put the
two together. You have to real­
ize that every horse is different;
each one has a different person­
ality.
Your favorite thing? The horses,
I like to work with them. The
best part of everything is the race
day when you watch the horse
run. It's real exciting, especially
when you win. You get real
attached. 1 have a favorite horse,
Popcorn Popper; he's like my
baby. It's hard to see them if
they break down or get hurt."