Dual Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton has been denied a fairytale victory on her first ride as a fully-fledged amateur jockey at Ripon, finishing a close second.
Despite being a total novice in the saddle, Pendleton announced in March she was training to become a jockey with the long-term aim of competing in the Foxhunter Chase at next year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The 34-year-old made her racecourse debut in a charity event at Newbury in early July and after gaining her Category A licence headed to Ripon on Monday to ride the Lawney Hill-trained Royal Etiquette in the 13-runner Betfair Novice Flat Amateur Riders’ Handicap.
Royal Etiquette took the lead in the straight but was eventually caught by 33-1 chance Jordaura who won by a head.
“I had to switch to plan B too quickly,” Pendleton said.
“I tried to keep a hold of him, because I was told that if he hit the front before the three-furlong (600m) marker he would hold his hands up as if he’d done enough.
“I was pushing with everything I had and lost my balance a bit on the undulations, which was frustrating, and I ended up just shouting at him to keep him going.
“I knew it was going to hurt, but I was just so happy.
“It’s given me confidence and I feel blessed to have been given this chance. I feel like a real jockey.
“I don’t know when the next race will be, but riding on the flat is allowing me to hone my skills.
“I genuinely didn’t think it was possible when this idea was mentioned and if you had told me six months and six days ago, which was the first time I sat on a horse, that I would be here I wouldn’t have believed it.
“It’s been a fantastic experience so far. I had an amazing cycling career, but riding a horse is so much fun. My family keep having to tell me to shut up I talk about it so much.”
