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John Roberts--Driving and Loving It

© Kimberly Rinker

Steering race horses in frigid temperatures makes for its share of difficulties for any driver. When a drive has suffered career-threatening injuries-such as Johnny Roberts did nearly a year and a half ago, it can make driving during the winter all the more difficult.

"The cold weather really seems to bother my back now," Roberts, 24, said. "I mean, it was something that never ever affected me before in the least. But then again, I never had a broken back before."

Roberts was seriously injured when he was thrown to the racetrack and then trampled by horses in a mid-September qualifying accident at Maywood Park in 2003. He underwent numerous operations, and on December 29, 2003 doctors placed four pins into his spin and fused several of his broken vertebrae together.

"Because of my injuries, I've been forced to alter my position in the race bike," Roberts noted. "Actually, in an odd way, it's actually helped me. I'm able to keep horses up on the bit a lot more now because I'm sitting in a more upright position than I did before. Prior to breaking my back, I'd lean pretty far back in the bike and look from side-to-side as opposed to looking over the horse's back, like I do now."

Robert returned to driving in May of 2004, after undergoing many hours and days of physical therapy. He also was required to wear a full body cast for nearly four months during his recovery.

"I'm a lot more passive in my driving than I was before the accident," Roberts said. "When I'm in tight spots, I tend to be less aggressive. I'll duck horses now and race them for a good check as opposed to going all out to the front or being parked out. I've gotten over that need to win every race by 15 lengths."

The lanky and tall reinsman (standing 6'1") had his best season in 2001, piloting 93 winners to the tune of $526,627. Though his 2004 campaign was curtailed due to his recovery time, Roberts still managed to pilot 51 winners to nearly $300,000 in purse earnings.

"I was kind of a one-dimensional driver before my accident," John said. "I was trying harder to win than I really needed to. It wasn't that I wasn't able to drive differently, it's just that I found out that I could. As a result, I've been given better horses to drive and have been doing well with them. By being more patient on the track, my driving has improved and that's why I've been given better horses to drive."

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