Here’s another proud achievement to put Malaysia on the map. Isabelle Lonjuing Sayeed, who hails from Sabah, has been certified as the youngest racehorse trainer in the world at age 13!
Isabelle was issued the licence as a professional trainer and stable agent by The Royal Sabah Turf Club (RSTC) on 26 November.
She was granted the licence by RSTC’s director of Racing, John Gorton – a renowned South African-born international jockey and racehorse trainer.
“I started riding horses at the Glenora Stables in Kinarut, Sabah, at age five under my grandfather’s guidance, and coach Susan Douglas as well as her daughter, Claire Mosun,” Isabelle, who is the granddaughter of Datuk Seri Dr Ghulam Sayeed and daughter of polo player Adil Ghulam, told Borneo Daily Buletin.
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| (Photo source: New Straits Times | PBITG.COM) |
She added that she also trained at the Kuala Lumpur Academy of Polo under her mentor, Peter Abisheganaden, earlier this year.
Her plan for next summer, she revealed, is to train in the US with coach Bob Baffert.
Meanwhile, coach Susan Douglas stated that aside from owning an ILS Stable Horse, Isabelle is also a qualified race starter, barrier tester and nutritionist, which Susan described as “the biggest challenges as the world’s youngest racehorse trainer.”
Following her experience playing polo under the Sabah Polo Association, Isabelle has established and is now the captain of the first female polo team in Sabah, El Venato Polo Team.
(Photo source: Borneo Daily Buletin)