The Hall of Famer’s son, Riley Mott, will set himself up as a coach later this year after serving as his father’s assistant for the past eight years. Little Mott was already a familiar face in his father’s barn, regularly accompanying the cage’s stars to the world’s major races. The 30-year-old got his own training license in Florida this winter.
“From an early age, I learned that horse training is not just a business, but a way of life,” says Mott. “I rode my first horse when I was 6 years old and immediately fell in love with the game.”
Mott started herding horses and walked in his father’s stables, eventually ran the stables, and was eventually appointed assistant coach in 2014. He also majored in economics at the University of Kentucky. His father is not only in the Hall of Fame, but is also a three-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Coach and has coached numerous champions, including twice winning Cigar of the Year.
“Following in my dad’s footsteps is something I think about every day,” says Mott. “I appreciate him both personally and professionally. I often take his achievements as motivation to push my game forward as a rider and as a human.”
He continued: “I have learned a lot from working under my boss and others in our operations, but by far the most important lesson I have learned from him is that Either way, it’s all about the horses. You always strive for the best interests of your owners and provide a healthy working environment for your employees, but in order to do that, you must do the right thing by your horses. You do it, and the rest will follow.”
Mott says some of his father’s owners have offered to assist him with horses. He has also started welcoming new customers.
He and his wife, Megan, reside in Saratoga during the summer months, but plan to move to Hot Springs for the upcoming Oaklawn meeting and then to Kentucky for the rest of the year. They have a 9-month-old daughter, Margot.
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This story was posted in Top News and tagged Bill Mott, Cigar, new owner, new coach, Riley Mott, trainer.
