2022 News

---

Winners of the 2021 JRA Awards announced

On Jan. 11, Efforia was announced as a double winner for the JRA Awards for 2021. Efforia won both the Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year for 2021 and Best Three-Year-Old Colt award. In the voting for the Horse of the Year award, Efforia received 277 votes out of 296.

The Horse of the Year title is the highest honor given to JRA-registered race horses and is selected by the Horse of the Year Selection Committee represented by journalists of various dailies and magazines.

Note: All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2021, unless otherwise indicated.

■RACEHORSES

Efforia (JPN)

Video
Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1 - English)
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1 - English)
Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1 - English)

Comments from the horse's connections

Owner: Hiroaki Akita, President & CEO of Carrot Farm Co. Ltd.
“Thank you very much for having presented me with this most prestigious award. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to, of course, Efforia, and to all those people who have been involved with him. In 2021, he won four of his five races and was only beaten in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) by the slightest of margins. As is apparent, he is a horse that gives it his everything in a race, something that one can easily imagine would take a great toll on him physically. Yet, and most importantly, he has suffered no serious injury and he has seen out the year safely. Above all, I am overjoyed for that and wish to lavish him with sincere and open praise. It is my sincere hope that he will be able to race safely again this year as well.”

Trainer: Yuichi Shikato
“I am most honored to be chosen to receive this splendid and prestigious award. I think that this is all thanks to, first of all, the owner, all those at the farm, the stable staff, and the fans. Of course, I have nothing but gratitude for Efforia. With this, I will keep to do my best this year. Thank you very much for your support.”

Jockey: Takeshi Yokoyama
“I am very happy that Efforia has been selected as Horse of the Year. That is an inspiring and sobering experience for me. I have been given the opportunity to share many experiences with this horse and I am deeply grateful to, of course, Efforia, as well as to all the people connected with him. From here on, I will strive to work with him in such a way that will not bring disgrace to his name as Horse of the Year.”

 

Best Two-Year-Old Colt:

Do Deuce (JPN)

Video
Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1 - English)

Best Two-Year-Old Filly:

Circle of Life (JPN)

Video
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1 - English)

Best Three-Year-Old Filly:

Sodashi (JPN)

Video
Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1 - English)

Best Older Colt or Horse:

Contrail (JPN)

Video
Japan Cup (G1-English)

Best Older Filly or Mare:

Loves Only You (JPN)

Best Sprinter or Miler:

Gran Alegria (JPN)

Video
Victoria Mile (G1-English)
Mile Championship (G1-English)

Best Dirt Horse:

T O Keynes (JPN)

Video
Champions Cup (G1 - English)

Best Steeplechase Horse:

Oju Chosan (JPN)

Video
Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1)

■TRAINERS & JOCKEYS

*Best Trainer (races won): Yoshito Yahagi (63 wins)
*Best Trainer (winning average): Mitsumasa Nakauchida (0.186%)
*Best Trainer (money earned): Yoshito Yahagi (2,516,153,500 Yen)
*Best Trainer (training technique): Yoshito Yahagi

JRA Best Jockey (races won): Christophe Lemaire (199 wins)
JRA Best Jockey (winning average): Yuga Kawada (0.285%)
JRA Best Jockey (money earned): Christophe Lemaire (4,427,684,000 Yen)
**MVJ (Most Valuable Jockey): Christophe Lemaire (52 points)
Best Steeplechase Jockey: Kazuma Mori
Best Jockey (newcomer): Daito Ozawa

*Trainers’ figures include National Association of Racing (NAR; Racing by Local Governments) and overseas race results.

**The MVJ is determined by points allotted a jockey for his or her ranking in four different categories for designated JRA, NAR and overseas races. The four categories are “number of wins,” “win average,” “earnings,” and “number of rides for the year.” The MVJ award is bestowed upon the jockey with the highest total points.

 

■JRA Equine Cultural Award

Winning work
Horse Brain, Human Brain -- The Neuroscience of Horsemanship

Award recipients
Janet L. Jones, Ph.D. (author)
Janet Jones is a cognitive scientist who incorporates neuroscience into horse training and rider instruction. She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Jones trained horses at a large stable for many years and later launched her own training business. She has also participated in a variety of equestrian competitions.
Chizuko Amacho (translator)
Hiroyuki Mochida (editorial advisor)
Pan Rolling Inc. (publisher)

Synopsis of winning work
Drawing on the author’s personal experience in horse training and riding, the book explores from a perspective of neuroscience how people working with horses may learn to better communicate and build trust and bonds with horses, and acquire true horsemanship.

Reason for recognition
Equine behavior is analyzed from a new perspective of cognitive science and easy-to-understand instructions give priority to the horse in teaching people how to become true horsemen and women. The author’s personal experiences add to the convincing content.

	Janet L. Jones, Ph.D.	Chizuko Amacho	Hiroyuki Mochida

 

■JRA Equine Cultural Award, Special Award

Winning work
“Uma to Kodai Shakai”
Horses and Ancient Society

Award recipients
Kenichi Sasaki
Akio Kawajiri
Kazuhiko Kurozumi

Synopsis of winning work
Based on the latest academic research and investigative reports, the role of horses in ancient society is presented from a variety of perspectives and fields, including historical documents and archeology. The work brings together the efforts of a number researchers in helping to further shed light on ancient equine culture.

Reason for recognition
It is a meticulous composition on ancient equine culture brimming with diverse content from a wide range of fields. The work’s condensed form, the result of intense research, and its ability to give the reader a full understanding of the great variety and depth of equine culture makes this book deserving of recognition.

	Kenichi Sasaki	Akio Kawajiri	Kazuhiko Kurozumi

(Note)
The JRA Equine Cultural Award recognizes those persons (or organizations) that have contributed to the development of equine culture through such mediums as literature, critique, art, film and music, photography and performance.

 

---

Results of the 2021 JRA Awards (Total Votes: 296)

Horse of the Year

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Efforia	277
2	Loves Only You	18
3	Marche Lorraine	1
Total		296

Best Two-Year-Old Colt

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Do Deuce	251
2	Killer Ability	44
3	None	1
Total		296

Best Two-Year-Old Filly

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Circle of Life	294
2	None	2
Total		296

Best Three-Year-Old Colt

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Efforia	296
Total		296

Best Three-Year-Old Filly

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Sodashi	234
2	Akaitorino Musume	56
3	Uberleben	3
3	None	3
Total		296

Best Older Colt or Horse

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Contrail	282
2	T O Keynes	10
3	None	3
4	Cafe Pharoah	1
Total		296

Best Older Filly or Mare

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Loves Only You	251
2	Gran Alegria	31
3	Chrono Genesis	11
4	Marche Lorraine	2
5	Akai Ito	1
Total		296

Best Sprinter or Miler

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Gran Alegria	284
2	Pixie Knight	10
3	Danon Smash	1
3	None	1
Total		296

Best Dirt Horse

Place	Horse	Votes
1	T O Keynes	240
2	Marche Lorraine	47
3	Cafe Pharoah	8
4	Omega Perfume	1
Total		296

Best Steeplechase Horse

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Oju Chosan	166
2	Meisho Dassai	127
3	None	3
Total		296