When the California Thoroughbred Foundation awards scholarships to veterinary students, it looks for high-quality candidates who are likely to specialize in equine endeavors. Ferrin Peterson has gone above and beyond anyone’s expec-tations in that regard.
Peterson received a scholarship from the Foundation in 2018, when she was a third-year large animal veterinary student at the University of California at Davis. That was also the year she obtained her jockey’s license. Since then, she has graduated from vet school, become a licensed veterinarian, and continued what has become a very successful jockey career.
This past summer, with Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone as her agent, 28-year-old Peterson rode at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. She did so well that she ended the meeting as the second-leading rider, with 42 wins, and was featured in a major article in BloodHorse magazine. She moved on to ride regularly at the tough Aqueduct fall meeting in New York.
“I think I benefit from having multiple things going on in my life, and they complement each other,” Peterson told Brian Bohl of the New York Racing Association. “Just having that veterinary knowledge and being able to have those conversations with trainers and owners, I think they do appreciate that. The more you work on horses, on the ground or on their back, the more in-tune you are with them. They are just such complex animals. It’s great to be able to understand what they are going through.”
Whether as a jockey or as a veterinarian, Peterson will be benefiting Thoroughbred racehorses. The Foundation is proud to have had a hand in furthering her career.