British Female Jockeys to Gain Their Own Championship

March 22, 2012

British professional female jockeys are joyous following the news they will receive their own championship for the first time.

The race for the new title, sponsored by information technology business Prolinx, begins on the opening day of the Flat racing season at Doncaster Racecourse on March 31. It concludes on Town Moor too, on the final day of the season in November.

Hayley Turner, Britain’s top female jockey who rode her first two Group 1 winners last year, said: “This is excellent news and it will create a great deal of interest – and make us even more competitive – in the weighing room.”

Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, added: “We are thrilled to be launching the first ever Ladies’ Jockeys Championship and delighted thatProlinx has agreed to be the sponsor. This new championship reflects the impact that has been made by female Jockeys in recent years and their growing influence in the sport.”

The championship is segmented into three components – gold, silver and bronze. The gold award prize, for jockeys riding over 30 winners during the season, is £5,000; the silver award (10-29 winners) £3,000; and the bronze award (1-9 winners) £1,000. The winners will be the riders with the best strike rate – winners-to-rides ratio – in each section.