ENGLISH TEXTS ners. After Sean( Bowen) went point to pointing I got to ride one of his ponys and we won a lot together and my dad bought a unraced three year old thoroughbred for 700 pounds that luckily stayed 14.2 hands and that was very fast as well because my first pony wasn’ t very good. I raced against some good jockeys too, such as Ben Jones, Lorcan Williams, Connor Brace, James Bowen, AJ O’ Neil, and Luca Morgan.”
G. where was your first full time job and what was it like?
J. B.“ Andrew Balding offered me a job when I was pony racing just when I turned 16 so I started for him after my four weeks at the British racing school. It was a brilliant start up for my career with Andrew being such a good mentor to not just me but all the young jockeys that go through Kingsclere. There was a good mix of old and young members of staff along with some top-class jockeys who were always there to put an arm around you and offer good advice.”
G. other then Andrew who else mentored you at Kingsclere?
J. B.“ Oisen Murphy would help anyone he possibly could if you asked him. At the races or over the phone he would be there to give his advice and talk through a race with me. He would be the main one I would go to and have a lot of respect for.”
G. as your time as a flat jockey who else did you ride for and what were your biggest wins?
J. B.“ the john smith cup at York is a heritage handicap and I won that for King Power racing and Andrew on a horse called Johnny Drama and in my final year as a flat jockey I won a listed winner for Archie Watson at Haydock on a good horse called Shartash where we beat a good horse of Charlie Hills called Pogo by a neck. I see that as a big highlight of mine especially as I was second jockey behind Hollie Doyle for Archie which was great to reward that connection.”
G. what was the reason for leaving the flat and going national hunt racing?
J. B.“ My weight. It was always a struggle and I probably kill myself wasting to get down to a weight suitable for a continued career on the flat, but I thought I’ m 25 years old and realistically I can’ t keep doing this to my body especially when I’ m not one of the elite jockeys to make it worth killing myself for. I’ d be waking up 9 stone 9llbs every day and getting down to 9 stone or 9 stone 2lbs for the maidens. There would be days where id ride out 2 lots, sweat in the bath for three hours, get in a sweat suit to sweat in the car on the way to the races and then run around the track to lose the final pound or two.”
G. how did that make you feel when riding?
J. B.“ the pre work out shots would perk me up for half an hour or so and once I was on the horse the adrenaline would kick in and id be fine. One day however in the middle of July at Bath racecourse it must if been 30 degrees and I got to the start and I just remembering feeling like I was about to pass out. My feet were out of the irons, and I couldn’ t see a thing in front of me. Luckily when we jumped out the stalls, I was fine but yeah that was not good when I was just waiting in the heat, dehydrated.”
G. what was the moment that made you want to change disciplines?
J. B.” It’ s funny really because I stopped the year id just ridden my joint biggest winner on the flat but I remember it was getting closer to the winter time around October 2024 and the transition from the turf to all weather and every ride I was starting to have, which was only one or two a week, all were had betting prices of 33 / 1 or bigger. It mentally was destroying me having to lose 7lbs to ride a horse I knew I was going to finish last one and to think about doing that for the next few weeks and months was a horrible thought. It was my cousin James Bowen that I spoke to made me step back and think would I really want to be doing this in five years’ time. He was the biggest influence on me going jumping. And I’ m so glad because during my time as a jockey
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