Born to race: 3 Hong Kong jockeys on ‘Ben Ming Nian’, what Year of the Horse means to them

In the cycle of the Chinese zodiac, the “Ben Ming Nian” – a year that corresponds to the same zodiac animal as your birth year – is often met with caution and respect. Some see it as a curse with potential obstacles, while others consider it a chance for personal growth aligned with their sign. For Hong Kong jockeys Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, Karis Teetan and Matthew Chadwick – all born in the Year of the Horse 36 years ago – this cycle carries special meaning as their daily lives are closely linked to the animal of their birth sign in a high-stakes sport. And while the trio share the same birth year, their paths to success and views on luck are as different as their horses. Practical approach Ho approaches his zodiac year with a modern practicality. He sometimes goes to temples or consults a feng shui master for peace of mind, especially after a serious injury last year, but he prefers to stay focused by controlling the details. On race days, he wears the same colour shirt and the same watch so he can “save some brain power”. Superstitions aside, he mixes confidence in his skills with a healthy “respect for good luck in the world”. Despite injury setbacks during the 2023-24 season, he became the first local winner of the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship and, days later, won his third Hong Kong Mile on Golden Sixty. One of the city’s leading home-grown jockeys, Ho first became interested in horses at 13 after attending a summer programme. “It is quite a unique sport to do because horses or even animals are not that popular in Hong Kong since we are a concrete city,” he said. He believes his love of animals made things “a lot easier”, and sees horses as “honest and consistent”. “Honest as in always trying the best and willing to learn and learning quickly and also always performing without any distractions or other thoughts.” To Ho, jockeys need to be more than athletes; they must connect deeply with horses. “The most important one is the connection with the horse is like you communicate and connect with someone without talking,” he said. “But if a horse can talk, I’m sure they will keep insulting humans,” he joked. “They would probably be like asking ‘do you even know how to ride?’” Competitive spirit For Teetan, horse racing was a way of life before it became a job. Growing up in Mauritius, racing was “the only big sport where all the family would watch on a weekend”. His father took him to the track as a child, and he was drawn to it immediately. “I’ve always loved horses, and when I see horses, I want to ride them,” said Teetan, who started out as a jockey aged 14. He moved to Hong Kong in August 2013, by then already a top 10 rider in South Africa, regularly winning more than 100 races per season. In Hong Kong, he celebrated his 700th win in the 2024-25 season. “I love what I do. I could not imagine not being a jockey, doing something else because I just love waking up and working the horses in the morning,” he said. Known for his competitive spirit, Teetan thinks he shares the same traits as a horse: “energetic” and “fast”, and believes he might be the “fastest jockey in Hong Kong”. When asked what he thinks horses would say if they could talk, Teetan said, “Wow, you are very aggressive,” especially when he gets to the final 400 metres. While Chinese tradition suggests people should wear red during a zodiac year to ward off bad luck, for Teetan, the colour is less about seasonal superstition and more about a lifelong personal ritual. “When I’m racing, my saddle and all my racing gear are red because I’ve always believed [in] red,” he said. Besides his gear, he keeps a strict pre-race routine: he never goes to the track without calling his wife and parents. “Of course you need to have luck and pray for protection because we all do a very dangerous job,” he said. “It’s always good to be safe and protect us.” Be prepared Chadwick started his journey with pony lessons in Malaysia, but then stopped for a while after moving back to Hong Kong. Later, the Hong Kong Jockey Club held a summer recruitment event, which he thought would be just like a holiday in the months off school, but that turned him onto a career in horse racing. Chadwick believes he has lots of similarities to horses: “independent, detailed and determined”. Chadwick was the first local jockey to win a Hong Kong International Races Group 1, claiming victory on California Memory in 2011, and is one of only three locals with 500 wins. “I’ve had some [injuries] throughout the years. I’ve had my own personal injuries and I’ve had to overcome, like most Hong Kong people, that is quite resilient,” he said. “You have to be prepared for the worst scenario but hope for the best. “I think every year is gonna be tough in its own way and lucky in a long run way. I think it’s if anything, you just have to be prepared,” Chadwick said, taking a characteristically pragmatic view of his coming zodiac year. Though he calls himself rational and neutral, Chadwick said he’d like to be at one with Pakistan Star, a famous but unpredictable horse. “He’s known for not wanting to go and stopping a few races,” said Chadwick, who rode the horse at the start of its career and never had any problems. “So I found it very interesting and he was very quirky. It would be very interesting to know what he thinks,” he said. Though born in the Year of the Horse, he describes himself as “very neutral, very in reality”. He is not superstitious, has no lucky charms or rituals, but feels a personal bond with the horse year – his daughter was also born in one. “So it always relates to being a bright year and a new path sort of thing when she was born,” he said. From auspicious horse-themed phrases and couplets to whether your luck is in, check out our Year of the Horse 2026 series to discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year.

Born to race: 3 Hong Kong jockeys on ‘Ben Ming Nian’, what Year of the Horse means to them

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Despite sharing the same birth year, Vincent Ho, Karin Teetan and Matthew Chadwick have taken very different paths to the top

Practical approach

Despite sharing the same birth year, Vincent Ho, Karin Teetan and Matthew Chadwick have taken very different paths to the top