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SARGA.CO—Debuting in regional races at the age of 13, Iqbal Rahmadias has continued to carve out achievements, particularly in the small pony class. Now, he is pursuing a bigger arena with the determination to win the Indonesia Derby. Read about the journey of Iqbal, a talented young jockey who continues to chase his great ambition on the nation's race tracks.
Iqbal’s journey in the racing arena is inseparable from a strong family tradition. Since childhood, he has grown up in an environment of jockeys, from his uncle to his father, who has long been involved in horse racing.
"My parents, especially my father, are farmers day to day. But he often participates in races too," said Iqbal.
It was from this environment that his instinct as a horse racing jockey began to form.
Iqbal's desire to become a horse racing jockey grew long before he actually entered the track. Since the fifth grade of primary school, he had been learning to ride race horses with his father.
Equipped with simple gear and independent practice without a trainer, Iqbal continued to nurture his spirit to become a racing jockey. Amidst practice to improve his control in the saddle, Iqbal still took the time to care for the horses he rode.
Not only did he focus on caring for the horses, but he also routinely watched local races. It was this habit that strengthened his desire to become a horse racing jockey.
Iqbal's strong resolve was initially not supported by his mother. Like most parents, his mother worried about the risk of injuries that jockeys often experience.
"Only I was so insistent on becoming a racing jockey," revealed the jockey born in Tasikmalaya, October 1, 2004.
Iqbal's fierce determination finally paid off when he began his venture into horse racing. In 2017, he had his first race at the regional level. Two years later, he moved up to the national level in 2019. Since then, his steps in the racing arena have become more assured.
Iqbal's determination and effort as a racing jockey led him to Van Doeloer Stable, where he officially joined from 2020 until November 2025. According to Iqbal, the training pattern at the stable is actually not much different from the independent practice he used to do. The difference is that he now receives direct guidance from a trainer.
"Back when I was still learning to be a jockey with my father, there was no one teaching me. Since joining Van Doeloer Stable, there has been someone to train me," he said.
While reminiscing about the beginning of his journey, Iqbal recalled the time when he learned to become a jockey autodidactically. He absorbed a lot of knowledge from senior jockeys he often met around the arena.
Those early experiences then became the spark that motivated him to take the world of racing even more seriously.
Becoming a jockey at Van Doeloer Stable meant Iqbal increasingly interacted with smaller-statured horses, which race in Class F and below. Nevertheless, he was able to dominate this class and accumulate several top-three achievements.
This achievement feels even more impressive considering that small ponies are known to have a heavier control pattern compared to larger-statured horses. Iqbal also admits that understanding the character of small ponies is far more challenging.
"In my experience, big horses are easier to manage. Meanwhile, local horses that are small in size have stubborn temperaments. Sometimes they don't want to obey," he said.
He then recalled his first moment riding a small pony when he had just joined Van Doeloer Stable as a jockey.
At that time, Iqbal controlled a horse competing in Class I over a distance of 1,000 meters. Iqbal confessed that he learned a lot from that horse to be able to better understand a horse's character.
Iqbal still remembers clearly how difficult it was to control a small pony on the track, especially when the horse often veered and did not follow directions. It was from that experience that his understanding and technique were continually honed until now.
Talking about the challenges of controlling small ponies on the track, Iqbal emphasizes that understanding the character of each horse is an important step. This is so that the jockey can truly merge and coordinate with their mount.
"If the horse is being fussy, we talk to it. We also keep talking to it during practice," said Iqbal.
He then exemplified the character of Mc Queen, one of the horses at Van Doeloer Stable known to be difficult to manage during practice.
According to him, Mc Queen tends to be lazy and not very responsive when brought out to train. However, that condition changes completely when entering the competition arena.
"Other horses are easier to manage during practice, but it's a different story with Mc Queen. He's lazy during training. But during the race, he knows he's competing," explained Iqbal.
This difference in character made him realize even more that every horse has its own unique nature that must be understood to perform optimally on the race track.
During his eight years in the world of racing, Iqbal has participated in many championships. However, one of the most memorable for him was when he won the gold medal at the Pekan Olahraga Provinsi Jawa Timur (Porprov Jatim) IX 2025 in Class H - 1,000 meters.
That moment felt special because he was trusted to control Flamboyan, a horse that he felt had a much larger stature compared to the horses he usually rode.
"Riding Flamboyan felt like riding a big horse. That's why it was very memorable to be trusted to race with Flamboyan," Iqbal said enthusiastically.
In addition, Flamboyan has a height of 154 centimeters, larger than the horses he had previously known in Classes G, H, I, and J, which averaged between 124.1 and 142 centimeters.
It was this difference in size that made the experience of competing with Flamboyan so special for Iqbal.
However, that achievement is not the end, but a step that brings him closer to his biggest dream: winning the Indonesia Derby. Like other jockeys in Indonesia, having his name immortalized on the Indonesia Derby winners list is his greatest ambition right now.
"I want to win the Indonesia Derby. Because then my name can enter history in the PORDASI book. When I'm old, it can be a memory," he hopes.
According to him, winning the podium at the Indonesia Derby is an achievement that not every jockey can attain. It requires effort, hard work, and consistency to reach one of the highest levels in the world of horse racing.
Iqbal believes that every practice, every race, and every experience controlling different horse characters are small steps that bring him closer to that dream.
Now, he is starting a new step by joining Satria Anom Stable, continuing his dream and effort to keep progressing on higher tracks.
This step also enriches his experience as a racing jockey, including in understanding the character of every horse he will control.
"Because my ambition is indeed to become a professional jockey. Even if I don't become a jockey, I still want to be involved in the equestrian world," he concluded.
Iqbal’s journey to carve out achievements on the race track is still long. However, his determination to keep developing as a jockey is the best provision for reaching the peak of his career.
Not only Iqbal, but there is still much potential from other young jockeys ready to grace the nation's race tracks. Follow the latest information on Instagram (@sarga.co), 𝕏 (@sarga_co), TikTok (@sarga.co), YouTube (Sarga.Co), Facebook (Sarga.co), and the website news.sarga.co.
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