International Women's Day 2020: Just Jockeys

Features

#JustJockeys highlights the incredible achievements of women in the sport of horseracing and highlights the need for us to drop the term ‘female jockeys’ and celebrate the sport as one.

Women have an established and recognised standing in racing and the number of successes continue to rise. The total number of winners from (female) jockeys has increased by 76% from 2015 to 2019, despite a 2% drop in the number of (female) jockeys.

Watch the Stars in Action

Talented, determined, resilient and brave, all in a day’s work for a jockey. Racing has no gender, it’s your skill and talent that counts. They are: #JustJockeys

With thanks to Mark Pattinson Racing, Sandown Park and Kempton Park.

Jockey Profiles

Flat Jockeys

Statistics correct as of Thursday 5th March 2020

Hollie Doyle

AGE: 23

CAREER WINS: 300

Hollie broke the record for the most wins achieved by a female in a calendar year, finishing 2019 with an impressive 116 wins. She surpassed the record of 106 wins previously held by Josephine Gordon since 2017.

Hayley Turner OBE

AGE: 37

CAREER WINS: 845

In 2008 Hayley became the first woman to ride 100 winners during a calendar year. Hayley’s hugely successful career, made up of over 800 wins, includes making history during Royal Ascot in 2019, becoming the first female in 32 years to win a race during the prestigious event since Gay Kellaway.

Nicola Currie

AGE: 26

CAREER WINS: 154

Nicola became the first female to ride in the QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October 2019 on Raising Sands.

Khadijah Mellah

AGE: 19

CAREER WINS: N/A

Khadijah made history when she won became the British female Muslim to ride in a hijab when she won the Magnolia Cup Charity at Goodwood in July 2019. Her remarkable and inspiring was followed in film documentary Riding a Dream. You can find out more about her story here.

JUMP JOCKEYS

Bryony Frost

AGE: 24

CAREER WINS: 142

In 2019, Bryony became the first female jto ride a Grade 1 winner at the Cheltenham Festival partnering with Frodon in the Ryanair Chase and became the second female since Lucy Alexander in the 2012/13 season to be crowned Champion Conditional Jockey.

Rachael Blackmore

AGE: 29

CAREER WINS: 229

In the 2016/17 Jump season Rachael became the first female to win the Irish Conditional Jockeys’ title and is now in the running for the 2019/20 Irish Champion Jockeys’ title. In February 2020 Rachael won two Grade 1 races during the Dublin Festival at Leopardstown, something no other female had achieved before.

Lizzie Kelly

AGE: 26

CAREER WINS: 72

In 2015 Lizzie became the first female to win a Grade 1 race in Britain on Tea For Two in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton Park. Lizzie was also the first female to ride a winner at the Cheltenham Festival aboard Coo Star Sivola in the Ultima Handicap Chase in 2018.

Page Fuller

AGE: 24

CAREER WINS: 69

Page enjoyed success in the Grade 2 Pertemps Network Long Distance Handicap Hurdle at Haydock aboard Monbeg Theatre in 2018.

LEARN MORE

Careers in Racing

Whether you are still at school or are looking for a career change, there’s no better place to start your search for a job in racing.

The racing industry is a diverse and thrilling world to work in, no matter your experience or skills. Get more advice on suitable courses, the colleges where you can take them, and chat to advisors for careers information and support on getting involved.

Find out more

Women in Racing

Women in Racing was created to develop the profile of women in the sport of horseracing. WIR aims to encourage senior appointments at Board level across the industry and to attract more women into Racing, to strengthen connections and collaborate on approaches to help promote the health of the sport and to enhance its reputation as an attractive sector in which to build a career.

Find out more

Diversity in Racing

Throughout racing’s history, people with enormously varied backgrounds have contributed to the sport. Racing is the second most attended sport in Great Britain with a 40:60 female male gender split amongst racegoers and is built on the unique platform of men and women being able to compete equally.

Some areas of the sport could be seen as out of kilter with modern British society – from the composition of the sport’s leadership and the opportunities afforded to participants, through to the make-up of people attending and enjoying racing.

Find out more

The British Racing School

Students from all over the country attend the British Racing School, in Newmarket to learn how to care for racehorses. If you are interested in doing this when you leave school this is where to start.

Find out more