Chantal excelled at sports as a teenager, avidly playing field hockey and even competing for Canada's national Junior World Cup team. She was introduced to horses through jumping and dressage. After graduating from York University in Toronto with a degree in communications and psychology, she explored flat Thoroughbred racing in spite of the initial opposition of her father.

She began her career in 2000, and in her second season in the saddle she won 124 races. In 2001 and 2002 she took home Canada's Sovereign Awards for outstanding apprentice jockey.

One of racing's most recognizable riders, Chantal was named one of People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People in 2006, and she was also photographed by Annie Liebovitz for a four-page spread in Vogue that year. She is also the face of the Canada-based cosmetics line Mistura Beauty, and was a star of the hit reality series "Jockeys" on Animal Planet.

In March 2011, Chantal became the first female jockey to win the Santa Anita Handicap, in the 74th edition of the historic race, with Game On Dude and followed up aboard the same horse with a runner-up finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup in July and victory in the Goodwood in October at Santa Anita. She also finished second with Game On Dude in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic.

After a brief retirement, Chantal returned to competitive riding in 2013.