Indonesian Child Jockeys Ride to Escape Poverty

Indonesian photographer Romi Perbawa has captured the images of Indonesian child jockeys in a series called “Stormy Riders.” These children, sometimes as young as five years old, ride to earn money to keep their families out of poverty.

These jockeys are often paid $2 to $5 per race – 28 million Indonesians live on less than $1 a day in 2012. Though gambling is banned in Indonesia, the activity is still carried out under the table.

The horses raced in Indonesia are small, therefore their jockeys must be small, so a child's career as a jockey in the country is often short-lived. But it is not without its share of danger – improper safety equipment put riders at the risk of fatal injuries from falls. Perbawa says that a jockey will fall in nearly every race.

Read more at The Independent