My sponsorship with Go Racing in Yorkshire seems to be involving me in a few things, not just riding the horses! Earlier this month (May) I went to help the team with a litter pick around Langton Wold Gallops in Malton. This was part of Racing Together’s Community Engagement Day, which provides racing with an opportunity to engage with the local area.
After morning stables, I headed back up to the gallops (I’d already had five lots so I’m quite familiar with them!), donned my high-vis tabard and joined the others, made up of staff from Wetherby and Catterick Racecourses, William Hill, Adele Mulrennan and Julie Camacho.
I could only do a short stint as I had to get back for evening stables, but it is great to see how racing can work with the local community and make a positive impact.
Racing is a real community, made up of lots of people and horses that tie us all together. We try to support each other on a daily basis and have organisations like the Professional Jockeys Association and Racing Welfare who can help us if we need it. The industry has really embraced the recent mental health awareness week and it is useful to know that there is someone to talk to if we need to, or we think our friends need to. Sometimes it’s just a case of having a change and I know that lots of the staff at Brian’s are looking forward to the forthcoming rounders matches organised by Racing Welfare. I’ll try and get along if I’m not racing, although football is more my sport!
The day after the litter pick, I was evening racing at Ripon. The racecourse had linked up with several of the Yorkshire courses to promote racing in Yorkshire and I won the Go Racing in Yorkshire sponsored race on Canford Bay. It was a great result for all of us!
I’ve been getting around the country riding, from Newbury to Ayr. The travelling is the most tiring part of the job but you have to go where you can for rides. I need two more winners before my claim is reduced to 5lbs which will be a real milestone and I’ll keep travelling to get there.