Marek Stromský was not the only rider to celebrate a lifetime achievement on Velka Pardubicka day. In the prestigious Vltava Stakes, Barbora Málková won comfortably on Charme Look, and aroused a considerable amount of well-deserved attention from the crowd at Pardubice racecourse, and elsewhere. She is the first woman for a long time to win one of the races at the Pardubice festival meeting .Though she modestly pointed out the merits of the horse, it should be emphasized that she did an excellent job in carrying out a very demanding task.

The Vltava Stakes was a great solo effort by you. How did you see the race, from the saddle? Were there any problems, or did you enjoy the ride from the beginning to the end?
It’s mainly down to Charme Look – he is the greatest. My only problem was at the start, when he wanted to get away before the others. I did a kind of trial Irish Bank on him [the start of the race was delayed as Charme Look took Barbora for a detour] … But then, when I managed to get him settled down gently – things have to be done gently with him – everything went perfectly. Once I got him away from the start, I didn’t have any doubts or any problems, not for a second.

Did you believe that you had a chance of winning on Charme Look?
I’d put it more like this – I was afraid even to think about it. I did believe in him a lot. He’s the best horse I’ve ever sat on in my life. And he’s a personality, too, a gentleman. He’s a big horse – everyone says he should be ridden by a boy, but that’s not true. He can’t stand being treated roughly – he wants to be in control of the situation, and if you are polite with him, he’ll do anything for you. I tried to reach out to him as much as I could, and he paid me back in full.

Was there any discussion about whether you would have the ride on Charme Look in the Vltava Stakes? Were there any thoughts about giving him a more experienced jockey for this race?
Originally it was planned that if Charme turned out to be a horse for a girl to ride, I’d be tried out with him next year. It wasn’t in the plan for this year. At the beginning of the season, some arrangements were made with boy riders. In the end, though, it turned out that the other riders were not available. Then he didn’t get into some races, and he had to run in a race for young riders. When I won that race on him, the owner, Mrs Dušková, and the trainer, Martina Růžičková, agreed that there was no reason to make a change – since I had managed it, they would give me another chance in the Vltava, too. It’s true that there was a lot of pressure from all round before the race. Riders were very interested in the horse, but he was left for me. I’m very grateful to them for this opportunity.

Yes, the pressure on you before the race must have been enormous – how did you deal with it?
I was mainly afraid of the responsibility. It was known that we had a big chance, and that it was up to me not to spoil everything. I made up my mind not to think about it. I felt calm about the race itself and I wasn’t too nervous before the start. That surprised me, but I believed that I could do it. Before the race, I talked myself through all the fences and obstacles, and calmed down.

There is a terrific atmosphere on Velka day – how did you enjoy winning in front of such a big crowd?
The atmosphere that people set up for me after winning the race was simply perfect. All the boys, all the jockeys congratulated me. Before the race, I’d thought they wouldn’t be delighted if they were beaten by a girl, but I was wrong. Every one of them came to me and congratulated me from the heart. I was able to enjoy it properly, and I am still enjoying it now. After the race, I preferred not to pick up the phone, and I didn’t accept any texts – and then my mobile phone was overloaded with congratulations, which was a fantastic feeling.

How did you celebrate this lifetime achievement?
I didn’t celebrate at all (laughter). I got home, and I was happy to be at home, and to be able to go to bed and sleep. For two days before the race I’d slept badly. My nerves were on edge …

You ride for trainer Martina Růžičková, on Mrs Dušková’s horses that run in the Orling colours [Orling is a Czech company that makes natural health care products]. How did this collaboration come about?
My first hurdles races were when I stepped in for Lukáš Sloup, who was injured, and I won them. Martina Růžičková got in contact with me, and when I was later deciding where to go after I left the Koplíks, she approached me. This is now my ninth year with her, and I’m very satisfied. I wouldn’t change it. Above all, we are a team of women and we get on really well.

How did you get into horses and racing? How did you start riding? And why did you choose steeplechasing, which is not something typical for women?
When I was eight, I watched the Velka Pardubicka, and racing enthralled me. I said to myself that I’d really like to see what goes on at Pardubice racecourse, about which Czech television was showing excerpts during the transmission. Then I started going to Pavel Složil’s yard, which wasn’t far away from us. Since I was young, people have said that I had a talent for riding. In particular, I was never afraid. It simply captivated me. When I went to [the school for apprentices at Prague Velká] Chuchle, I was too heavy for flat racing, and I also didn’t get many chances. Fences were always a bigger challenge for me. Nothing against flat racing, but I just like the adrenalin rush.

How do you feel as the only ‘amazon’, the only girl, among all the men? Do you get support from them, or do they give you a hard time for being “just a girl”?
Really, it wasn’t easy at first. They boys used to say to me – “Why don’t you drop in behind, in last place, and then you won’t interfere with us”…. But that’s OK, you have to establish yourself, and make your own way. At first I rode horses that no-one else wanted. Every rider has to go through that. But I think that, for the last three or four years, the boys have accepted me as one of them. I ride the Orling horses, and I know all of them well from riding them in their work. I was very pleased when the boys started discussing how the race had gone with me as one of the group. Of course, I don’t have such a strong finish, but they know I don’t cause any problems during the races, and they no longer say, “Watch out, Bara’s riding with us.”

What are your plans and aims for years to come?
I try not to make too many plans. They often only lead to disappointment. I certainly want to stay at Martina Růžičková’s stables. I’m very happy there. I also work as a sales representative for Orling. It’s a job that suits me. In a few years, I’d like to have a baby, but just now I want to go on riding. We’ll see what’s going to happen with Charme Look and the other horses.

If Charme Look were to run in the Velka, would you be in the saddle?
I hope so! If he runs in the Velka, I’d very much like to be in the saddle. I think the owner and the trainer will give me their support. If he and I get there, of course.

Let me ask you a final question. What did you think about this year’s Velka?
It was something a bit different … for my taste, there were too many falls. It was a bit gloomy, perhaps in connection with what happened to Míša Köhl, which shook all of us a lot [Jumps jockey Michal Köhl died two weeks before the Velka Pardubicka after a bad fall in a race at Brno, and his funeral was held in Pardubice just two days before the Velka]. Nevertheless, it was certainly an interesting race – a quick time, and a fine finish. I was very happy for Marek Stromský, he deserved it more than anyone else in the field, especially after all those sufferings that he went through [winning VP jockey Marek Stromský twice missed winning the race on Amant Gris, on a disqualification and then being beaten into 2nd place by a nose.]

This interview by Kateřina Jupová first appeared on the Czech language pages of Dostihový svět. Translation by Robin Healey