Kim Gui-bae, one of very few jockeys around the world to have ridden winners in six different decades, has retired. The veteran rider reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 last December and accordingly was unable to extend when his license expired at the end of June.
“I always said I would go on until 60.” Kim said at his retirement ceremony at Seoul Racecourse last week. “I could do 65 or 70 were it not for the limit.”
Kim Gui-bae debuted as a sixteen-year-old in April 1979 at the old Ttukseom Racecourse. It was at that track where he enjoyed the most successful part of his career, especially when guiding Pogyeongseon to win the Grand Prix Stakes in 1986 – “he was so easy to ride” Kim recalled. That would be the only Graded winner of Kim’s 44-year career. He assumed the mantle of oldest jockey in Korea more than twenty years ago.
Kim’s overall figures reflect the era in which he qualified. Up until the 2000s, jockeys were restricted to a small number of race rides each week (as few as five), and while that system changed, Kim did not, riding sparingly but doing plenty of trackwork. Over the 44-years he rode 328 winners from 4568 rides. His final winner came on June 4th on four-year-old filly Complete Time in a class 3 handicap. HIs final ride was 4th place on Star Princess in a class 5 handicap on June 25th.
“I’ve worked hard to keep up with the younger riders and they are always very considerate to towards me. I started out 44 years ago knowing nothing but I have picked up a few things along the way and have grown to love being a jockey. I will stay around horses.” Kim said. As for the question as to if he could go back to 1979 and do it all over again, would he? Kim thought for a while, smiled, and said “No.”