30 April 2008 Pilots in Profile - Jacqueline Coward
Jacqueline Coward: all smiles after her spin around the National course on Holy Joe
Currently sharing joint-third place in the Lady Riders Championship, Jacqueline Coward has had a productive season so far in the saddle. She has ridden 13-winners between the flags and enjoyed a great spin around Aintree aboard Holy Joe to finish 3rd in the John Smith's Fox Hunters'.
Definitely a rider who knows the time of day, she boasts a 20% win strike rate and 50% win and place strike rate this season, and is very much a part of the success that the yards of both her Mother (Cherry) and Uncle (David Easterby) have enjoyed this season.
AGE 22.
PROFESSION Amateur jockey.
ARE YOU FROM A RACING BACKGROUND? My Grandfather is Mick Easterby.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO RIDING? Was shoved on a pony at a very young age, but I always wanted to ride in races since I was little.
FIRST RIDE - WHEN, FOR WHOM, HORSE, COURSE, FATE? My first ride was when I was 16 at Charm Park on a horse called Double Rich who is still around teaching my little cousins today. I evented him so he was good at putting in an extra stride, but that caused me to come off as he screwed on landing. I was far too forward and up all horses necks when I first started! The Greenall boys, Thomas, Oliver and Toby, all started on him and now he's back in the family at the ripe old age of 15.
WHO ARE THE MAIN TRAINERS THAT YOU RIDE FOR? My mother Cherry Coward mainly, but also Annabelle Armitage, David Easterby (my Uncle), Susan Mason (my Aunty) and anyone else who wants me!
WHERE ARE YOU BASED/LIVE? Dalby, 3-miles from the new North Yorkshire Course at Sheriff Hutton.
WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE? Freddi the Ford Focus - he's a diamond at off roading!
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT NIGHT IN & PERFECT NIGHT OUT In - Good steak and chips, bit of telly and then early to bed as I just cannot get to bed early if I try! Out - a real good fish restaurant, concert or band, and then a decent nightclub where I can get into the VIP area to escape the crowds!
IF YOU WERE SUSPENDED - WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOURSELF? Depends how long. Go travelling to Australia and New Zealand. I would also love to go on safari, but also to go and help my friend in America train her horses and ride over timber out there.
WHO WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT TRAVELLING COMPANIONS TO THE RACES? A good driver so I can sleep; Johnny Depp would be pretty good too!
WHAT CD'S ARE YOU PLAYING IN YOUR CAR AT PRESENT? Well, Freddi only has a tape player but my iPod is currently playing Mika, Razorlight, Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, and Madonna.
WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST HEROES - IN AND OUT OF RACING? Martin Pipe - I just think he is/was an amazing trainer; Anthony Kiedis from the Chili Peppers - a great musician; A. P. McCoy - needs no explanation.
WHAT TURNS YOU ON/OFF - IN RACING & LIFE IN GENERAL? On - winning and seeing horses with problems do well; Off - injuries to horses and myself, as well as the cold wet English weather.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FUNNIEST INCIDENT AT THE RACES? Probably when I first started riding and I was in a Novice Riders race at Charm Park on a horse called Clonshire Paddy. I asked my friend Rachel Clark how many more laps we had left. I kind of assumed none when I got this as a reply, "how many do you f***ing think Jacqueline", as she was bouncing up and down slapping and kicking. I noticed a few people had picked up there sticks so figured we must be nearly finished. I gave Paddy a kick in the belly and we won, just beating another horse my Mother trained at the time for an owner rider called Guy Armitage.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING IN RACING - WHAT WOULD IT BE? A tricky one as there are a few things - the handicap system and giving Lady jump jockeys more opportunities, i.e. having more Ladies races, at least one a week.
IF YOU HADN'T TAKEN UP RIDING - WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? Probably have been very bored and a bit of an outcast in my family - it just wouldn't have happened. Maybe I would have done something in fashion and the textiles industry as a designer.
WHAT IS THE DAFTEST THING A FELLOW RIDER, AN OWNER, OR TRAINER, HAS EVER SAID TO YOU? Don't win by too far!
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BEST AND WORST RIDES YOU HAVE GIVEN A HORSE? Worst - when I first started riding and would just fall asleep and then suddenly realise that it was near the end of a race so I started kicking. You can imagine the boos I got for just getting beat. Best - a hands and heels bumper at Ludlow on a little filly called Diavoleria trained by my Granddad. I think there should be more of these races as it teaches you so much about getting a horse to run for you with out picking up the stick.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS IN YOUR RIDING CAREER? That I maybe didn't carry on eventing past Intermediate when I had two fantastic horses. I was just totally set on race riding, and dressage was not my strong point!
NEXT WEEK: LUKE MORGAN
