Romping to victory in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival recently, Bryony Frost secured a landmark achievement that wasn’t just about winning the race itself. She also became the first ever female jockey to ride a Grade One winner in a chase event at the famous festival.
Following that monumental achievement at the Cheltenham Festival, there came speculation that Frost was rapidly becoming a strong contender to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for 2019, with Oddschecker highlighting a fall in odds from 100/1 to 20/1 for the 23-year-old jockey.
Odds falling so quickly indicated that not only were bettors attracted by Frost’s horse racing ability and success, but also her effort and determination as a female jockey, in a sport still overwhelmingly dominated by male jockeys. This hadn’t gone unnoticed by the wider public too, given her appearance in the shortlist for the prestigious annual BBC award.
‘I will keep climbing to the top of the hill and see how far I get’. The jockey Bryony Frost on making history as the first woman to win a grade one race at the Cheltenham Festival.
🎧 ▶ https://t.co/rkLU6sn65M pic.twitter.com/pGAWRAQBLh— BBC Woman’s Hour (@BBCWomansHour) March 23, 2019
Such recognition is not only welcome for Frost, but all female jockeys. In a revealing report published by The Guardian last year, analysis of more than one million races indicated that female jockeys account for just 1 in 100 rides in top-level events, despite evidence to suggest that performances are actually no better or worse than their male counterparts.
Even more interesting amongst the data published, were statistics showing that female jockeys are almost on par with men in flat racing performance, whilst actually more successful over jumps. Nevertheless, female jockeys are often still relegated to lower grade races, or lower quality horses in the higher-grade races. This inevitably affects their realistic chances of winning races and their earning potential.
Nevertheless, there is hope that thanks to the achievements and growing recognition gained by Frost over the last couple of racing seasons, accompanied by her excellent record of 101 wins from 678 rides, will prove to be inspirational for other female jockeys. Indeed, it may just contribute towards levelling the playing field a little more, which would undoubtedly be good news for the racing industry as a whole.
Never ever take jockeys for granted.
Just last week, Bryony Frost had the best day of her life riding Frodon to glory in the Ryanair.
On Monday, she broke her collarbone and will now miss the Aintree Grand National.
The harsh realities of one of the toughest sports on earth. pic.twitter.com/uqc2yoJgM1
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 21, 2019
As for the immediate future, unfortunately, Frost will be unable to compete in the 2019 Grand National at Aintree, after suffering a broken collarbone during a heavy fall recently at Southwell. However, she is no stranger to broken bones, which can sometimes come with the territory in jump races.
In a statement released by the Jockey Club, any signs of disappointment were quickly dispelled by Frost, who insisted that she hopes for a “swift return” once the fractured clavicle is fully healed. As the Conditional Jockey’s Championship leader this season, she will undoubtedly be setting her sights on further success, including perhaps the 2020 Grand National.
Given that her father is Jimmy Frost, who memorably won the 1989 Grand National by seven lengths riding Little Polvier, racing is very much in the family blood and bones. Repeating that feat will certainly be a target for Bryony in the long-term, as part of a promising future in racing. There’s every chance that in that future, she might just become the first ever female jockey to win the Grand National in the coming years, if her impressive progress continues.
