Every second and every penny counts at the Prado races in one of Brazil’s poor regions. For 12-year-old Dirlinho, racing offers a chance to earn money and enter the big world of professional jockeys. But it is a dangerous and ruthless path.
Nerves and tension, risky bets, horses foaming at the mouth, stimulated by doping, and determined riders who are still boys. This is what horse racing is like in a poor region on Brazil’s north-eastern coast. While the ambitious Dirlinho has been gaining experience and earning money on smaller circuits for some time, his younger cousin Edivan is just learning to ride and overcome his fear. In order to succeed in a world where animals are viewed in terms of money and child jockeys in terms of kilogrammes, they will need tough discipline, courage and a steady hand. How much of their childhood are they willing to sacrifice for the vision of a brighter future?