Rosie Napravnik – Record-Setting Jockey [VIDEO]

All this week, I'm featuring stories of strong women who have excelled in fields formerly ruled by men. It's all in preparation for this Saturday's Women's Build with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor. Today, it's world-class jockey Rosie Napravnik!

Anna Rose 'Rosie' Napravnik started riding horses not long after she learned to walk. And she started her career as a jockey the summer after her junior year in high school. In the early days, Rosie rode under the name A.R Napravnik in order to conceal her gender. Even so, she frequently ran into trainers and owners who refused to work with a female jockey, which seems silly since she's 5'1" tall and weighs about 113 pounds - perfect for a jockey!

Rosie showed them up over the next several years, however. In 2011, she won the Louisiana Derby for the first time, and was ninth in the Kentucky Derby. Her fifth place finish in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and third in the 2013 Preakness Stakes are the best finishes for a woman jockey in those two races to date, and she is the only woman to have ridden in all three triple crown races!

Watch this video as Rosie achieves her 1,500th career win aboard Millennium Farms' Ronda Michelle. I bet those early trainers and owners are regretting their prejudices against such an amazing talent!

All this week, I'm featuring stories of women of strength who have conquered what was previously thought of as male-dominated activities. On Monday, I posted about Keala Kennelly, world-class surfer!

It's all to support this week as Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor's Women's Build week. It's a week set aside each year when the current building site is turned over to women, to help encourage and empower them to get involved in construction. I'll be on Fifth Street in Bangor Saturday, helping to rehab an existing Habitat House that's being readied for a new family. I hope you'll join us!