Bryan Claassen

When BRYAN CLAASSEN was 5 years old he met a polo crosse filly, Nillie, who, he says, taught him to ride. His father Ronnie Claassen was a jockey so between Nillie and his dad he fell in love with horses, and the idea of being a jockey, at a young age. His favourite subject at school was maths so he is obviously a very intelligent young man. His goals are clearly set wanting to ride 60 winners in the very near future and to ride in the Durban July as an apprentice. He admits that his greatest thrill as an apprentice thus far has been to beat Anton Marcus and Piere Strydom in a thrilling finish. His two favourite jockeys are Anthony Delpech and Kevin Shea so he has set his sights high and from what we have seen of him, so far, it seems pretty certain that race goers will be seeing and hearing a lot more about him. He is yet another young rider coming out of the academy who will be doing our racetracks proud. 

What is your name and age? Bryan Christopher Claassen and I am 17 years old.

What is your star sign and birthdate? I am a Sagittarius and my birth date is on 19^th December 1994.

Where were you born? I was born in Port Elizabeth.

Where do you live?  My family live in Pietermaritzburg but I currently live at The South African Jockey Academy at Summerveld.

Tell us about your family? My dad, Ronnie Claassen passed away when I was three. He was a jockey. My mom is Liz. I have two sisters, Leigh Ann and Michelle. I have a step father-whose name is Graham Crook and I also have a step brother, Justin and two step sisters Ashleigh and Nicky.

Do you have a ‘nickname’? No.

Favourite food?  I will have two big macs and a regular chips please, when allowed.

Favourite drink? Chocolate milkshake.

Favourite music? Classic music like Bryan Adams. That’s who I am named after.

Favourite sport? Polo-crosse and horse racing of course.

Favourite soccer team? Manchester United.

What is your favourite holiday destination? It’s a tough call between Mozambique and Kosi Bay.

Briefly discuss your school days in terms of favourite subjects?  Maths, maths and more maths!

As a school boy did you follow horse racing and did you have any favourite horses or jockeys that you followed?  My favourite horse was Nillie, a polo-crosse horse. She taught me how to ride from when I was 5 years old. I never really followed horse racing from a young age. I did watch videos of my dad riding though.

How did your interest in horse racing come about and how did you get into the academy? My family had a huge influence on me becoming a jockey. I was interviewed by the academy staff and my application was successful.

By the time you went to the academy had you ever ridden a horse? Yes. I rode my first horse when I was five years old and played polo-crosse. I started playing polo when I was only 9 years old.

When did you start your apprenticeship? January 2010.

Who were your fellow apprentices at that intake?  Donovan Dillon, Gerrit Olwagen, Lerato Mohapi and Mandla Ntuli.

List some specifics about the first year of your apprenticeship? I enjoyed making new friends and being around them. I also enjoyed working with the horses and doing stable management. It was hard at first but once I got into the swing of things it became a way of life.

Describe a typical day at the academy? Wake up at 4am and ride work at the training centres until 9am. We then return to the academy for breakfast. School starts at 10:30 until 2:30, then we do stable duties and go for riding lessons.

What year of your apprenticeship are you in? I am in my third year.

What is the most difficult part about being an apprentice? Getting rides!

Which year would you say indicates if you can become a proper jockey or a failed apprentice?  Generally towards the end of your first year.

Once you got into the academy which senior jockey inspired you the most?  I always wanted to be a jockey like my late father and I am happily fulfilling that. I look up to him.

How long were you in the academy before you competed in your first race? Tell us about that first ride?  One year and two months. My first ride was for Mr. James Goodman at Scottsville on Brightman. It was a good experience and I enjoyed every second of the race.

Tell us about your first winner? My first winner was Perazim Joy for Mr. Des Egdes. It was an adrenalin rush like you can’t believe and I was thrilled. I watched the replays over and over again.

Which were the trainers who took the most interest in you and were prepared to help you along the way?  Mr. Des Egdes has been a huge support system for me and helped me through the good and the bad times. He has taught me a lot.

Which tracks have you ridden on in South Africa and what is your favourite one?  Greyville, Clairwood, Scottsville, Kimberley, Turffontein and Vaal. My favourites are Kimberley and Greyville.

How many winners have you ridden to date? I have ridden 9 winners thus far and looking forward to the next one.

Which stables do you ride work for? There is not enough space here to list all the trainers I ride work for.

You are getting some really good rides from various stables. Is there any chance you could, in the near future, become stable jockey to any of them? One never knows the future, but I am ever hopeful.

Which top jockeys do you admire the most in South Africa?  Anthony Delpech and Kevin Shea.

Which do you consider to be the best horse / horses you have won on to date?  Miss Filly and Gandolf The Great.

What are your short & long-term ambitions?  Short: to ride 60 winners as soon as I can and long-term to ride in the Vodacom Durban July as an apprentice.

With the KZN winter season upon us which horses do you think will do really well? Jackson, Variety Club and Polar Bound.

What is your most memorable moment in racing thus far?  Beating Anton Marcus and Piere Strydom on the line. It’s always hard to beat these fine top jockeys.

What is your ideal riding mass and do you have problems maintaining it?  I am very happy at 50kgs and I am blessed in that I have no problem maintaining my weight.

What is your current claim?  I am currently claiming 4kgs.

You have probably noticed that many trainers and jockeys have sponsors. Are apprentices allowed to be sponsored and if so, do you have a sponsor?  Yes, we are allowed to be sponsored and I would love to be an ambassador for some company.

Do you do anything extra to keep maximum fitness apart from riding work and races?  I enjoy running and swimming.

How good a judge are you in assessing gallops? Average to good!

Outside of racing do you have anything else you are passionate about?  I absolutely enjoy playing computer games and anything to do with an Xbox!!!!!

Do you think racing is well-policed?  Well, I have received a suspension before, so yes indeed it is.

Do you have a steady girlfriend or are you concentrating on your career?  I have chosen to concentrate on my career at this point so all the lovely ladies will have to hang on a little while longer.