Next Wednesday 13th February sees the inaugural running of the Ireland v Britain (Q.R.) Challenge Handicap Steeplechase at Fairyhouse by kind agreement with Peter Roe. Many thanks to Peter and also to Susan Leahy for this special race to look forward to.
Team Ireland (2 gentlemen and 2 lady amateur riders) will compete v Team GB with each team drawn from the 8 top weighted declared runners with the race run over just under 3 miles (2m 7f).
Good luck to our GB representatives – last season’s joint champion gentlemen runners-up Zac Baker and Alex Edwards together with leading lady riders Brodie Hampson and Tabitha Worsley 🍀🇮🇪🇬🇧🍀🏇🍀🏇🍀🏇🍀🏇🍀🇬🇧🇮🇪🍀
We are delighted to announce that the AJA are returning to Fegentri which will give opportunities to many of our members to enjoy racing abroad on the Flat. This follows the good news that Fegentri rules have been updated to allow up to 5 gentlemen and 5 lady riders to represent their country and take part in the LONGINES FEGENTRI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR LADY RIDERS AND FOR GENTLEMEN RIDERS rather than restrict this to one individual as in the past.
This weekend sees the annual Fegentri General Assembly in St Moritz and details will follow of this year’s calendar in due course.
Meanwhile applications are invited from amateur jockeys to take part in this exciting opportunity to become part of Team GB for 2019.
Jockeys must have ridden a minimum of 5 winners (which can include point-to-points) with ladies able to ride at 58 kg (9 stone) and gentlemen at 62 kg (under 10 stone ie 9 stone 11 lbs).
Please e-mail sph.oliver@btinternet.com if you would like an application form.
Congratulations to David Maxwell fresh from the Arqana Autumn Sales on Monday where under the guidance of Guy Petit he purchased Cat Tiger who he partnered at Auteuil this afternoon when riding against professionals in the Prix Morgex.
Having never sat on the horse before getting legged up, David actually parted company with him on the way to the start but this did nothing to damage their relationship as the partnership duly won!!
“He’s a real professional, though I fell off him on the way down to the start” said David. “It comes as a bit of a surprise the way you jump a fence on the way to the start in France. I’d never sat on the horse before and I only saw him for the first time on Monday at the sales. The first time I ever sat on him, I fell off him but won a Grade 3. Fantastic!”
“He’s going to Paul Nicholls and he’ll run in hunter chases next season” continued David. “We’ll probably keep him to hurdles this season and then hunter chases after that.”
This Friday 9 November sees the finales of both the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) and also the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentices World Championship (IFAHR) in Abu Dhabi.
10 jockeys ride in each race as follows:
Ladies: Belgium’s Sara Vermeersch (winner in Stockholm), France’s Marie Lemartinel (winner in Morocco) and Mégane Peslier (winner in Toulouse), Germany’s Rebecca Danz (winner in St Moritz), Ireland’s Evanna McCutcheon (winner in Oman), Italy’s Ilaria Saggiomo Ilaria (winner in Netherlands), Morocco’s Zineb Briouil, Netherlands Nadia Ibrahim, Sweden’s Tina Henriksson (winner in Houston USA) and UK’s Antonia Peck.
Apprentices: Belgium’s Sanne De Ceulaer (winner in Seville) and Jurico Bogaerts (winner in Ostend), Germany’s Esther Weißmeier, Ireland’s Eoin Walsh (winner in Copenhagen), Oman’s Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (winner in Morocco), Poland’s Joanna Grzybowska, Russia’s Anna Makarova, Spain’s Alejandra Gutierrez Baeza (winner in Tarbes), Sweden’s Andreas Tapia Dalbark (winner in Oman) and UK’s Patrick Pilley.
Many thanks as always to Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairman of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), and thanks also to our hosts in Abu Dhabi – Pat Buckley and Sam Shinsky – for their kind and generous support.
The international ladies race so kindly organised by France’s top lady jockey Barbara Guenet took place on Sunday 28 October.
After a fantastic few days on the magical island of Mauritius, 3 UK lady jockeys – Lorna Brooke, Jodie Hughes and Charly Prichard – rode there alongside fellow ladies representing France, Spain, Switzerland and Czech Republic.
Many congratulations to Charly Prichard on riding the winner for UK with Jodie Hughes 4th and Lorna Brooke 5th in a close finish! What a great end to a wonderful few days in the sun. Many thanks to Barbara for organising this unique trip.
You can watch the thrilling closing stages of the race here:
We owe a debt of gratitude to our friends at the Wuhan Jockey Club in China – Kit Wu and Coco Yao – for hosting such an amazing trip for our amateur jockeys representing Ireland and the UK recently, Ciaran Jones and George Eddery.
Although both jockeys were unplaced in the race which took place on 27th October, they relished the experience of race riding in China as well as the Chinese culture.
We really appreciate the kind hospitality and wonderful opportunity extended to our members to ride in the Far East. Thank you Wuhan Jockey Club!
There is a possibility for a light amateur gentleman jockey to enjoy the opportunity to ride in China later this month from 26 to 28 October by kind invitation of Wuhan Jockey Club. The race is a 1200 metre non-handicapped for non-Thoroughbreds on 27 October and details are yet to be confirmed. All expenses of flight and accommodation will be met.
In addition it is hoped that future trips will be available to not only China but also other countries worldwide for gentleman riders with plans currently in progress.
If you are nearer 9 stone than 10 stone and would like to put your name forward, please e-mail your details (including total number of rides and wins as well as age and weight) to sph.oliver@btinternet.com.
Many congratulations Serena Brotherton on making a private invitational ride in Madrid a winning one last Sunday 27 May! Riding for trainer Antonio Sanchez, QUICK ARTIST battled all the way to get up on the line and win by a short head in a thrilling finish.
That’s another victory to add to Serena’s career winning rides to date (47 point-to-points, 1 Hunter Chase, 1 Arab and 122 Flat) which now total 171! Well done Serena!
Whilst most of us have been coping with The Beast from the East and Storm Emma for the past few days and deprived of racing here, its good to see some of our amateur jockeys enjoying race riding in warmer climes!
Our winning most lady champion Serena Brotherton enjoyed representing the UK by becoming our first amateur jockey to ride in South America when riding in Hipodromo de Monterrico, Lima, Peru on 24th February. Her first ride was unplaced but her second ride THUNDERING SAINT finished 3rd from a wide draw stepping up from 5f to a mile. It was an exciting finish!
Serena is the first UK amateur jockey to ride in South America and only the second English jockey to ride in Peru ever, with Lester Piggott being the first and he also finished third! Well done Serena!
Huge thanks to our friends Jochi Meza and Sara Torre for their fantastic hospitality and kindness in making this extraordinary experience possible.
Antonia Peck defied the elements and managed to make it to the airport to ride for the UK in Houston Texas on Saturday 3 March in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship. The severe weather disrupted travel plans for many of the Euroopean ladies and another bad weather front in the US itself stopped their lady rider from taking part with flights grounded on the East Coast.
Many congratulations to Antonia who enjoyed a fantastic trip and finished 3rd with Sweden’s Tina Henriksson victorious on UPTOWN SANDY GIRL denying Cindy Klinkenberg in a close finish.
Thanks as always to Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, for these great opportunities for our lady riders which are hugely appreciated by us all.
Congratulations
