‘Horses are in my blood’: The former racehorse jockey who found his way back to the stables after three decades
‘Horses are in my blood’: The former racehorse jockey who found his way back to the stables after three decades
In 1977, 18-year-old Clement Chan took a chance and enrolled in the Singapore Turf Club’s jockey school.
He began racing in 1980 and went on to record at least 14 wins in the 1980s.
After his first wife died of cervical cancer, Mr Chan was left to care for their one-year-old daughter alone. "My (biggest) fear was not dying after a fall. It was becoming paralysed. My daughter was still a baby, she needed me."
After ending his stint as a jockey, Mr Chan went on to run pubs, work as a property agent, and later became a race analyst.
Following a visit to a friend at Equal, a charity offering equine-assisted therapy, he realised how much he missed interacting with horses.
He now works there, helping children and seniors connect with horses to build confidence as well as reduce stress levels or trauma-induced symptoms.
Since 2023, Mr Chan also doubled up as a content creator on TikTok, with a mission to support hawkers whom he worries are struggling.
