Major wins
Great Britain
- King George VI Chase - (1) Frodon (2020)
- Celebration Chase - (1) Greaneteen (2021)
- Tingle Creek Chase - (1) Greaneteen (2021)
Ireland
- Ladbrokes Champion Chase - (1) Frodon (2021)
| Bryony Frost | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | April 13, 1995 Buckfastleigh, Devon |
| Major racing wins | |
| Major race wins: King George VI Chase 2020 Ryanair Chase 2019 | |
| Significant horses | |
| Frodon, Secret Investor, Pacha Du Polder | |
Bryony Frost (born 13 April 1995) [1] is an English National Hunt jockey from Buckfastleigh, Devon. In 2019 she became the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 race at the Cheltenham Festival.
Frost comes from a racing family. Her father, Jimmy Frost, is a trainer and former jockey who rode the winner of the 1989 Grand National, Little Polveir. Her grandfather, Richard Frost, was also a trainer. Her brother, Hadden Frost, is a former jockey who won numerous races including the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival on Buena Vista in 2010. [2] Frost learnt to ride on a donkey, before winning multiple Devon and Cornwall pony racing championships. [3]
After competing in point-to-points, Frost had her first ride under rules, as an amateur, in February 2013. Two years later she had her first win under rules, riding Current Event, trained by Rose Loxton, at Musselburgh. In 2016 she started to ride for trainer Paul Nicholls. [4] Still riding as an amateur jockey, Frost won the Foxhunter Chase at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival, riding Pacha Du Polder, trained by Nicholls. She turned professional in July 2017 and later that month secured her first win as a conditional jockey on the Nicholls-trained Black Corton at Worcester. The novice chaser provided Frost with a further six victories. [4] These included her first Grade 1 race, when the pair won the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day 2017 and Frost became only the second British female jockey to win a top-class race over obstacles. [5]
In December 2017, Frost had her first ride on the Nicholls-trained Frodon, coming second in the listed Ascot Silver Cup. It was the start of a successful partnership, with the pair winning the Grade 3 Crest Nicholson Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in January 2018. [6] Frost had her first Grand National ride in April 2018, coming fifth on the 25/1 chance Milansbar, trained by Neil King. [7]
In November 2018, Frost rode the Nicholls-trained Present Man to win the Badger Beers Silver Trophy at Wincanton, repeating their victory of the previous year [8] Later that month she rode out her claim, becoming only the fifth British based female jockey to achieve 75 wins over jumps. [9] The 2018/19 season saw Frost resume her successful partnership with Frodon, with victories in the Grade 2 Old Roan Chase at Aintree, the Grade 3 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase, both at Cheltenham. [4] In March 2019 the pair won the Ryanair Chase and Frost became the first woman to win a Grade 1 race at the Cheltenham Festival. [2] The following day Rachael Blackmore won the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. [4] She finished the season on 49 winners and in April 2019 was awarded the British conditional jockeys title. [10]
In 2019, Frost was one of eight nominees in the BT Sport's Action Woman Of The Year Awards and one of six nominees in the Sunday Times Sportswoman of The Year Awards. [11] [12]
The 2019/20 season saw a further victory for Frost and Frodon when they won the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase in January 2020 at Kempton. [13] Frodon was beaten into fourth place in the Ryanair Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival. [14]
In December 2020, Frost rode Frodon to victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton, becoming the first female jockey to win the race. [15] Her win gave Frodon's trainer, Paul Nicholls, a twelfth win in the race. [16] It was her 175th career win, making her the all-time leading female National Hunt jump jockey in Britain. [17]
In February 2021, Frost rode Secret Investor to win the Grade 2 Denman Chase at Newbury, defeating the two-time King George VI Chase winner horse, Clan Des Obeaux. [18] In April 2021, Frost rode a big-race double at Sandown, winning the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase on Frodon and the Grade 1 Celebration Chase on Greaneteen, also trained by Nicholls. [19]
The 2021/22 began with two more Grade 1 successes for Frost, with Frodon winning the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal in Ireland in October [20] and Greaneteen winning the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December. [21]
In September 2020, Frost lodged a complaint with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) about bullying and harassment by jockey Robbie Dunne. The BHA opened an investigation in April 2021. [22] In December 2021, the BHA announced that an independent panel had upheld the allegations against Dunne after hearing evidence from Frost, Dunne, and a number of other jockeys. Dunne was banned for 18 months, reduced to 10 months on appeal. [23]
Great Britain
Ireland
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual who rode horses in racing. They must be light, typically around a weight of 100-120 lb., and physically fit. They are typically self-employed and are paid a small fee from the horse trainer and a percentage of the horse's winnings.
The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It usually coincides with Saint Patrick's Day and is particularly popular with Irish visitors.
Rupert Walsh is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Walsh is the third most prolific winner in British and Irish jump racing history behind only Sir Anthony McCoy and Richard Johnson.
The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles, and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year on 26 December, and features as part of the course's Christmas Festival.
The Tingle Creek Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in early December.
The Kauto Star Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles, and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the King George VI Chase meeting on Boxing Day. The race was originally known as the Feltham Novices' Chase. The 2012 running additionally carried the name of Kauto Star pending a permanent change of name. The permanent name change was confirmed by the BHA in July 2013.
Kauto Star was a French-bred National Hunt champion racehorse trained by Paul Nicholls in Somerset and owned by Clive Smith. He was known for his versatility and longevity, being the only horse ever to be top rated over 2 miles, 2.5 miles and 3 miles in the same season. He is also the first horse ever to win a grade 1 race in 6 consecutive seasons - he then added 2 more the following season to make it 7. His Racing Post rating of 192 is the highest ever awarded to a National Hunt horse. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, in 2007 and 2009, becoming the first horse to regain the cup, beating Denman by thirteen lengths in 2009, after losing it in 2008 by seven lengths behind Denman. He tried for three more years to win the race again, but the best placing he could achieve was in 2011, coming third behind Long Run. He also won the King George VI Chase a record five times. He was one of the most successful steeplechasers of modern era finishing his racing career with a National Hunt record of £3,775,883 in earnings, which consisted of £2,375,883 in race prize money, £1,000,000 bonus for the completion of the 2006/2007 Stayers Chase Triple Crown and also a £400,000 reward for heading the BHA Table of Merit in the same 2006/2007 season.
The Celebration Chase is a Grade One National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs, and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late April.
The Denman Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Newbury over a distance of about 2 miles and 7½ furlongs, and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in February.
The Pendil Novices' Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late February.
Paul Frank Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007–08 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money. To date, he has trained over 3000 winners, won the 2012 Grand National, four Cheltenham Gold Cups and has been crowned British jump racing Champion Trainer thirteen times.
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Twist Magic was a French-bred, British-trained National Hunt horse trained by Paul Nicholls. He specialised as a two-mile chaser, and recorded many top class wins such as the Tingle Creek in 2007 and 2009 and the Victor Chandler Chase in 2010. He suffered a fatal injury while racing in the rearranged Peterborough Chase at Newbury and had to be put down. He was a rather quirky character, although not at his best at Cheltenham, he was one of the best two-mile chasers of his generation.
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