Riley Mott, the son of coach Bill Mott, who has been his father’s assistant coach for the past eight years, plans to come out separately later this year. The younger Mott, who obtained his license to train in Florida this past winter, hopes to start running on his behalf this fall.
Born in Hollywood, Fla., the 30-year-old Mott grew up on the track his father rode, spending spring and summer in New York and winter in Florida.
“From an early age, I learned that horse training is not just a business, but a way of life,” says Mott. “I rode my first horse when I was six years old and immediately fell in love with the game.”
Growing up, Mott continued to learn from his father’s experience working in the barn, herding horses, walking and doing whatever he could to gain experience and responsibility. He eventually ran the row and, in 2014, officially received the title of assistant coach, a position he still serves.
“Working my way from scratch in our system was a valuable experience for me because it allowed me to gain respect,” said Mott, who studied at the University of Kentucky and majored in economics. of their colleagues”. “One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is don’t ask someone to do something in the barn that you can’t do yourself. It’s important to show the people you’re leading that you’re available. willing to jump in and work just as hard as them.”
Elder Mott, one of the greatest coaches in North American racing history, has created a legacy that few can match. Since earning her coach degree at the age of 15 and scoring her first victories before graduating from high school, Mott has worked her way up the ladder, exercised riding, and worked as a longtime assistant. to the Hall of Fame coach before his departure. own in 1978.
“Following in my father’s footsteps is something I think about every day. I appreciate him both personally and professionally,” said his father’s young Mott. “I often take his achievements as a motivator to push my game forward as a rider and as a human.”
Riley Mott at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
As Riley Mott developed as a rider under his father’s guidance, he developed a keen eye and a sense for the sounds of equestrians.
“We test every foot on each horse before starting training each day, and we put a lot of emphasis on running each horse before training. Between that and closely monitoring how they move. while running on the track, that gives us a great base of what Mott said, individual horses, and allows us to detect the smallest clinical changes in the legs or differences in their gait”. “This has allowed me to develop a fairly well-trained eye.”
Mott says that some of his father’s owners have offered to assist him with horses, and he has also begun picking up new clients as he prepares to venture alone.
“I have learned a lot from working under my boss and others in our operations, but by far the most important lesson I have learned from him is for me,” says Mott. Either way, it’s all about the horses. “You strive to seek the best interests of your owners and provide a healthy work environment for your employees, but in order to do that, you have to get it right by your horses. You do it. that, and the rest will obey.”
