Jum  (Jumari Bajri) – Senior Track Rider and Barrier Attendant 

Shy and unassuming, Jumari has an innate connection with horses. He can be seen each morning out on the track carefully coaxing even the most difficult youngsters through their morning workouts. 

As a 15 year old teenager, Jumari left school to become as syce and by the age of 18 was working as a track rider for Kitson Leong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He spent some years with Bernard Ang gaining experience with him. Around this time Steven and Julie were also in KL where Steve was working as assistant trainer to S.B.Tan. Jumari joined our small team and stayed with us for the next 6 years.

When Steve and Julie moved to Singapore in 2004 Jumari, who was married by this time, opted to stay with his growing young family in Kuala Lumpur.  Steve was always keen that Jumari should follow him to Singapore and after 3 years his persistence paid off when Jumari re joined the Burridge Team in December 2008. Since then he has proved himself to be our top rider and barrier handler.

When he finds time to relax, Jumari likes to watch movies with friends, eat out – his favourite is chicken rice, and listen to music.

 Val  (Valent Lim) – Apprentice and Tack

Born in Singapore in 1989, Valent left school at 16 to work the hotel business. She joined the Swiss Hotel group and worked for 1 year both in the kitchen and restaurant, as well as honing her skills as an apprentice pastry chef. 

When her friend saw an advertisement in the paper asking for young riders to join the S.T.A.R. program it was Valent who decided to try her luck. Within 6 months she had learnt the basics of riding on retired racehorses as well as how to groom and take care of the horse.  From there she was soon picked up by the Burridge Racing Stable and is now a valued member of the team.

Valent’s passions include drawing, she’s a talented artist, and listening to music. When not track riding she likes to go the gym or ride her bike.

Choy - Track rider and Saddlery coordinator

Choy’s childhood neighborhood- The Perak Turf Club, Ipoh, Malaysia –was all the inspiration he needed to start his career at the track. Focused on this, his determination to ride, and with the help of his friends working at the track, he managed to get started by working for Trainer Peter Lee.

After a few years learning his core track skills in Malaysia, Choy headed off to New Zealand to gain more racing knowledge and experience.  During his time there, he had the opportunity to ride young horses, ride trials and get involved in various aspects of preparing and taking horses to the races – all the time building on his expertise in racing, track and overall horsemanship.  Finally, after spending 6 months under Chris Waller he came back to Asia and settled in Singapore. 

Choy has been with the Burridge yard for over 2 years and his daily duties are focused on riding trials, gallops and developing young horses. Choy is very calm on horse back, he gives his horses plenty of encouragement, confidence and praise. When doing gallops he has a great sense of pace and is always ‘spot on’ with his times. 

In addition, he is responsible for the saddlery for all 50 horses.  This entails full organization, maintenance and allocation of all elements of every horses tack.

 In his spare time, Choy loves to play soccer, he also follows the E.P.L. When he has time he enjoys giving obedience lessons to the boss’s two dogs.

Mohammed Affandi - Apprentice “Fandi”

Fandi began his career as a trackrider, obtaining his jockey license in 2005 in South Africa.  The following year, he moved to Singapore riding initially for A B Tan and Lionel Lee.  For the past ten months he has been with Steven Burridge.

Born and raised in Penang, Fandi is the first member of his family to ride.  He began work with polo ponies at the age of sixteen then trained as a groom and track rider with Cecil Roberts in Ipoh.  The Malaysian Racing Association had an agreement with both South Africa and Perth, Australia for sponsoring apprentices for one year which is how Fandi came to be in South Africa in 2005 where he learnt all aspects of horse care and grooming as well watching dressage and equitation.

Claiming 4 kg, Apprentice Fandi is an asset to the Burridge Stables. His ability to read a race and his natural balance on a horse will ensure his success as a top apprentice in the future. 

In his spare time he is a bit of a fitness fan and tries to swim or jog on a daily basis.

Look out for this young rider very soon!

Hairul  – Track rider, Spelling coordinator

Hairul started out at the apprentice school under the watchful eye of British retired jockey Eric Eldin.  Here, at the STC, he spent 2 years getting his grounding in the valuable skills of track riding.

After gaining his Jockey license, Hairul worked long and hard, especially at keeping fit and maintaining his low weight. This all paid off when he was rewarded with his first winner on Be My Lotus for Charles Leck in 1998. Despite this and other successes, Hairul became disillusioned with racing and took time out in his 10- year racing career to work in a different industry. However, just over 2 years ago in 2004, he was approached by Steven Burridge and asked to return to give track riding another shot. 

Hairul has been with Steven Burrridge Racing for over 2 years now and at 52 kg he takes on the role of being our valuable ‘lightweight’ rider. He has an excellent work ethic with an incredibly consistent performance.
In addition to track riding Hairul also assists in coordinating the spelling of the horses.

A busy family man with 2 boys and 2 girls, Hairul loves watching movies, jogging and of course spending time with his family.

Alias Shankar – Senior Track Rider and Barrier Attendant

Shankar began working with horses in his home town of Penang in Malaysia at the age of 26. When Damian Williams his boss at the time, decided to move back home to Melbourne, Australia he took Shankar along too and taught him the ropes from general stable work to track riding.

After spending three years in Australia, Shankar moved to New Zealand to work for the trainer John Sargeant.  Not long after, he moved to Singapore to work for the Burridge Stables where he happily rides all of the forty-five or so horses.

On race days, Shankar spends the day at the barriers assisting all the Burridge trained runners.  As well as loading them into the barriers, he also sits up in the barriers with the horse and jockey lending a kind hand ensuring they get the best start possible.

Married for three years and with a baby on the way, Shankar likes to get home to Penang whenever Steve and Julie have a horse entered for the races up there.  In Singapore he shares an apartment in Woodlands with track rider, Richo, and spends his spare time in the gym or on the jogging track, when not watching TV!