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 When the racing begins,
however, his crouched silhouette is far ahead of
the field, aided by an effortless riding style.
"When I start riding I get a bit stressed, but
after a moment, it's over," Diop says. "At the
time of the race, I'm only thinking of victory."
Diop is one of Senegal's most promising jockeys,
having won the country's top racing prize when
he was just 17. He hopes to begin racing in
France next year, realizing a dream coveted by
some of Senegal's foremost riders.
Horses are an integral part of life in Senegal.
Horse-drawn buggies are ubiquitous across the
country, and over the past 50 years competitive
racing has developed into a national pastime.
"It's a passion in my family," Diop said. "Since
my grandfather we've supported horses, then my
father after him."
In villages like Niaga, where Diop lives, horse
feed and supply shops line the main roads, and
fields are dotted with men on horseback.
Adorned with colourful ceramic tiles on a busy
back street, the house Diop shares with 12
family members is getting a new roof thanks to
the money from his winnings.
Depending on the number of horses in a race,
Diop can earn up to $600 dollars per victory.
Average monthly wages in Senegal were estimated
at around $180 at the end of 2019.
Diop's success is a source of pride for his
father, who spent much of his life driving a
horse and buggy around Niaga. His older brother,
who also hoped to be a jockey before a growth
spurt got in the way, boasts of Diop's
achievements to visitors.
"It's the elders who taught us everything since
we were young, and that's how I became
passionate about horses," Diop said.
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 Diop, who has dropped formal
schooling, was 12 when he left a tailoring
apprenticeship to pursue racing. According to
his father, he was so determined that he walked
10 miles to enroll in the nearest training
program. Today, Diop and other
jockeys in Niaga are taught by Adama Bao, whose
family has maintained a stud farm near the salty
shores of Senegal's Lac Rose for three
generations.
"[Diop] is very gifted," Bao said. "He could
compete up to 50 years with his weight and
size."
Bao plans to send Diop to France for three
months in early 2022 to race for a
French-Senegalese breeder. He would have
travelled last year, Bao said, had it not been
for the COVID-19 pandemic.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, Diop's skills were
put to the test at the racetrack in Thiès,
Senegal's third largest city.
Dressed in vibrant yellow and blue, Diop calmly
mounted his steed and led it towards the track.
He went on to finish first in three of his five
races that day, taking home nearly $1,000 in
winnings.
"I want to be the best jockey in a country other
than mine," he said. "In Morocco or France,
anywhere there is horse racing."
(Reporting by Ngouda Dione; Writing by Cooper
Inveen; Editing by Bate Felix and Mike Collett-White)
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