donna brothers
from top jockey to
triple crown reporter

Photo credit:  Eclipse Sportswire

Aired December 15, 2017

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When Donna Barton Brothers retired from Thoroughbred racing in 1998, she had won almost 1,200 races and earned the second-most winnings -- $11.2 million – among female jockeys in the United States.

After retiring her jockey silks, Donna became a television racing analyst, working for ESPN, NBC Sports, and TVG (Television Games Network). She also covers a variety of other equestrian sports, including the Hambletonian Stakes, the Rolex Three-Day Event, the World Equestrian Games, and the American Quarter Horse Association’s (AQHA) World Championship Show.

Donna’s mother was one of the first six women in the US to become a licensed jockey, and Donna’s brother and sister were jockeys, as well. But even though she grew up around horses … and horse racing was the world she lived in… Donna didn’t initially consider pursuing the profession herself… In fact, she grew up wanting to be anything but.