Pesi Shroff to call it a day

By Sharan Kumar
brsharan@yahoo.com

Oct 23, 2004

Pesi Shroff who reigned supreme for well over two decades with his deeds in the saddle has decided to call it a day at the conclusion of the Pune Racing Season. Thirty Derbys, 106 classics and 1730 winners embellish his standing as one of the finest jockeys that Indian racing has seen.

Pesi was not a stylist in the sense Vasant Shinde was but without being spectacular, he delivered the goods with amazing consistency. Pesi who was initiated into the sport as a kid, turned into a genuine all-rounder of the sport by his willingness to learn all aspects of the sport. His talent was not restricted to guiding horses to victories in classics but in helping the trainers to do their job more effectively with his crucial inputs which went a long way in the horses
realizing their full potential.

Click here to view Jockey  Pesi  Shroff  career classic wins

A recurring back problem has finally forced the jockey to weigh his options seriously though he has age on his side. ``I have been thinking hard for the last couple of months and I have decided that it is time for me to quit. It is not the lack of motivation or the death of horses of classic potential which is the reason for my decision. Since I love the sport so much, I want to be associated with the sport in one way or the other. I had the option to take up racing administration but given the kind of scenario, with its conflicting pulls and pressures, I would have found myself out of place. As such, I have decided to take up license as a racehorse trainer from the ensuing Mumbai season,’’ Pesi said, denying that his was a hasty decision. With his experience and excellent understanding of the equines, he should excel even in his new vocation as well because in his effort to become the best, Pesi had fought many an adversity, and his creativity ensured that problems were only opportunities to be creative.

There may have been better jockeys than Pesi Shroff but they could not reach the heights that he reached because they lacked Pesi’s commitment and discipline. He kept himself remarkably fit despite having to wage a constant battle to keep his weight under control. Any person in his position would have thrown away his gifts for a life of mediocrity and comfort but Pesi was a person who put everything he had to his gifts to achieve a life of success. Pesi was a bundle of energy and he used his restlessness to good effect by being on the move constantly, seeking new goals. He fully endorsed the view that to ``exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly’’.

In a sport where cynicism rules and suspicion reigns as the sport is inextricably linked to betting, Pesi has steered clear of problems with a single-minded devotion to the profession. He has enjoyed a remarkably a high success rate of over 30 per cent and given the fact that he was always at a disadvantage because of his weight, his statistics speaks volumes for his achievement. Pesi believed that to be creative, one had to be inventing, experimenting, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and almost always achieving the targets. Pesi has been associated with India’s leading horse owner and business tycoon Dr Vijay Mallya for well over a decade and the association is sure to continue even as he takes up his new job. Eight Indian Derbys, seven Indian Turf Invitation Cup successes are something that other Indian jockeys can only dream of. Pesi’s remarkable feat in the saddle is sure to stand the test of time.