By EIE Editorial
Inspirational, energetic and mesmerizing,
For horse lovers and non-horse lovers alike, Robert Montano’s autobiographical one-man play SMALL, is indeed a true story of big dreams.
Montano’s captivating performance engages the audience like no one-man show we’ve ever seen.
SMALL chronicles Robert Montano’s life story starting with his growing up in Long Island, NY in a Puerto Rican family. He is awkward and height challenged, but saw small men look like kings atop horses when his mom brought him to the racetrack as a boy. On his paper route one morning, he learns one of his customers was a horseman at Belmont Park, where he excitedly agrees to arrive at 4AM to help with the horses. It is there he learned that his true calling was to become a jockey.
While it is customary to learn to ride in an arena on a slow, gentle horse, Robert was thrown into the deep end when a trainer had him jump on a racehorse one morning at Belmont.
It didn’t end particularly well.
Undeterred, Robert persevered and eventually became a professional jockey.
The play continues to chronicle the enormous challenges of the sacrifices it takes to be a professional athlete - especially a jockey where there are strict weight limitations and risks of death while racing, as Robert saw in horseracing. There were audible gasps from the audience as he explained in graphic detail his eating and workout routine to make weight. Now a tall 5’8”, he developed an eating disorder in order to make the weight of 105. After a dangerous episode racing a difficult horse, he came to the realization that a career as a jockey put his life at risk.
Spending the summer at Saratoga Racecourse as an exercise rider, he went to the then popular nightclub “The Rafters” and got encouraged when a pretty girl told him she liked the way he moved and they spent the night dancing.
That evening out was the impetus to embark upon a new career and ultimately, he wins a full scholarship for dance at Adelphi University, and pivots from one dream to pursue another
Equine Info Exchange got a chance to sit down for a one-on-one conversation with Robert after watching his play. He was colorful and passionate, and we learned that there is tack from actual jockeys on set: including a saddle from Steve Cauthen who rode Affirmed to the Triple Crown in 1978, adding to the authenticity of the play.
“The takeaway is that you can have second chances in life. I like to say that I’m ‘Rocky on the racetrack.’ You can have a dream and a goal, but if that doesn’t work out, where do you go from there? Dance did it for me,” said Robert.
He openly discussed his time in the summer working as an exercise rider in Saratoga:
“While at Saratoga, I got a bit of heat when my roommates found tights and ballet shoes. I was taking dance classes at Skidmore College and they started busting my b***s.”
“Breaking into dance was hard, but nothing was harder than my life at the racetrack where there are very long hours and no days off. It helped me build confidence that I could do anything.“
His new successful career, gave him the opportunity to work with such performance legends as Chita Rivera in “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the movie “Chicago.”
However, he still has many connections in racing and appeared on “Talking Horses” with handicapper Andy Serling and former jockey Richard Migliore. He tells us about horsemen coming to see SMALL and being brought to tears.
He continued, “I feel sad about Aqueduct Racetrack closing as it’s part of history and that’s where I got my start. I watched Ruffian race there. I even have a tattoo of her on my shoulder with the words “Running to my own rhythm.”
“Although Aqueduct is closing, I will be attending the opening of the new Belmont Park on September 18th. The next day I’m getting married!”
We wish Robert Montano the very best and hope that his spectacular play can be performed in other cities for people to enjoy.
SMALL, a one-man play, Is written and performed by Robert Montano.
See it DAILY at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street, NYC until July 25th. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
There are more interesting stories in our section on Recreation & Lifestyle.
