Eibar Coa Monteverde (born February 15, in Venezuela) is a
jockey in
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...
.
Coa was born and raised in Venezuela
A five-time Judo Champion in his teens, He attended jockey school from 1989 to 1991 then began his professional riding career in 1992. He emigrated to the United States in 1993 but went back home.
In 1996, Eibar Coa returned to the U.S. to compete at racetracks in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
where he became the leading jockey at
Calder Race Course in 1996, 1997, 1999, and again in 2000. In addition, he was the leading jockey at Calder Race Course's Tropical Park meet in 1998 and 1999. On September 7, 1998, he tied a then Calder Race Course record when he rode six winners on a single race card. His success at that track led to his 2004 induction in the
Calder Race Course Hall of Fame
Calder Casino is a casino located in Miami Gardens, Florida. It includes slots, electronic table games, and bingo.
The casino opened in 2010 and features a gaming floor with 1,100 slot machines, including video poker, as well as electronic r ...
.
Eibar Coa was the leading jockey at
New Jersey's Monmouth Park
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...
in 2002 and at Florida's
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...
the following year. He also has competed successfully on the
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest Thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens; Belmont Park i ...
(NYRA) circuit, winning riding championships at
Aqueduct Racetrack in 2006 and that year became his breakout year as he was tying for that year's fall jockey title at
Belmont Park. On December 29, 2006, he joined Hall of Fame inductees
Angel Cordero Jr.,
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen (born May 1, 1960) is a retired American jockey.
In 1977 he became the first jockey to win over $6 million in a year working with agent Lenny Goodman, and in 1978 he became the youngest jockey to win the U. S. ...
, and
Mike E. Smith
Michael Earl Smith (born August 10, 1965) is an American jockey who has been one of the leading riders in U.S. Thoroughbred racing since the early 1990s, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2003, and has won the ...
as the only jockeys in the history of NYRA to win 300 races in one year. He was voted 2006 Jockey of the Year by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.
In 2007, Eibar Coa was ranked seventh among all jockeys in the Eastern United States with total earnings of $4,237,059, and was leading jockey at the Belmont Park fall meet.
Coa was temporarily paralyzed from the neck down and lost part of his lungs after fracturing his C-4 vertebra in a racing accident at Gulfstream Park on February 18, 2011, In spite of being designated a quadriplegic with little hope for recovery, he beat the odds and is now walking on his own and progressing toward what he hopes will be a full recuperation.
References
Eibar Coa at the NTRA
Year-end charts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coa, Eibar
Venezuelan jockeys
Living people
1971 births