01 June 2010 Jarrett Calls It A Day
by Carolyn Tanner
JONATHON JARRETT: partnering Glidewell to victory in the Albrighton Members
photo: Alex Harris
At the tender age of 24, successful North West jockey Jonathon "JJ" Jarrett has given up the unequal battle with the scales and has hung up his boots.
For someone who admits that his last meal before the weekend's racing was on a Wednesday night, a spell of inactivity after tearing his hip and thigh muscles in a Bangor fall in March was the final straw.
JJ, who worked for Henrietta Knight for four seasons prior to returning to his home area, rode 39 winners between the flags plus one Hunter Chase. His first success was on Meentagh Loch at Eaton Hall in 2004.
He now works every morning for Richard Kent at Mickley Stud, doing breaking and pre-training, while afternoons are spent concentrating on his equine dentistry business. Based between Whitchurch and Nantwich, he also does breakers at home and is looking to build up a Point-to-Point training yard next season. He already has an order for two horses from his stepfather and is off to the sales this week.
JJ has always done plenty of hunting - his father Martin is huntsman of the North Shropshire - and whether or not he has runners of his own on any particular day will still be a familiar figure at race meetings supporting his younger brother Rob, who opened his account earlier this season.
