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Lucy loves to leap fences
Lucy Jones originally hails from Lawrenny and can be proud of the fact that in only her second season she became the National Ladies’ novice point to point champion as she amazingly won nine out of her 18 starts.
All of these wins were achieved on the three horses which she shares with husband Simon, who also has an equine background since he is the huntsman for the South Pembrokeshire Hunt, which is based at Cresselly.
What makes her success all the better is the fact that of those nine wins, no fewer than five were achieved against male jockeys, although Lucy would modestly attribute her 50% record to the fact that she has very good horses in Dancing Credit and Fruitful Citizen, who are eight year old mares, and Derawar, a nine year old gelding.
It all seems a far cry from the previous season, when she set out in point to point racing and won one race in four starts as she rode Dancing Credit to a ten-length win in a field of six runners for the Ladies’ race at Llangeinor, near Bridgend.
Lively start
Her slightly earlier debut was far more adventurous because, as Lucy told us, “I had ridden alone over the Lydstep course the previous week and found it easy, so I went out for my first start full of confidence. The horse went off like a rocket and it wasn’t so easy with other horses and jockeys moving alongside – and I have a cracking picture of the look of terror on my face when we jumped the first fence. Horses are suddenly different animals when they have others racing alongside them but I managed to stay on until the eighth fence and we parted company. I remember asking Simon what happened and he said ‘You fell off!’ but I was well and truly hooked on point to pointing.”
Lucy had made a relatively late start to her jockey career although she had attended the Lydstep point to point with her father, Richard Hughes, when she was young and was captivated by standing so close to the action and listening to the sound of horses brushing the fences and shouting to each other to make room. She was in her mid-20s when she and Simon bought a five year old novice horse for her to train and school but when she told Simon she would like to try point to point racing he was very supportive and made sure that he acquired more experienced horses like Dancing Credit and Derawar, which they bought at auction in the Doncaster Sales, and Fruitful Citizen, which they bought from an advert in the ‘Horse & Hound’ magazine, a slightly more unusual place to buy a quality horse.
Successful season
All three literally showed their paces last season as Fruitful Citizen enjoyed four wins from four starts and was twice placed from three starts in hunter chases where Lucy couldn’t ride because she didn’t have the required licence, something she is eager to change in the forthcoming season. Dancing Credit was first past the post three times and Derawar won twice.
The new season starts as early as late November or December down south in Devon and then from February the races move to Wales, starting up in the hills at Erw Lon. She belongs to the South Pembrokeshire Hunt and takes part in the hunting at least three or four times before to qualify for competition in the members’ racing at Lydstep, where the men work extremely hard for weeks beforehand in preparing the course. They chop down birch and carry it out to build the fences – and Simon is so heavily involved that he is late home most evenings.
Huge step up
The 2009 season will see Lucy having to step up to the National Ladies’ Championships and it is a huge step because the winning lady jockey last season rode well over 200 races to secure her success. Lucy’s work as a self-employed accountant means that such commitment of time would be difficult but she is a great believer in setting short-term goals, rather then huge targets, and reckons she has another five years as a jockey.
She rides three times a week for Keith Goldsworthy at his excellent gallops in nearby Yerbeston, who allows her to train her own horses as part of a reciprocal agreement and finds the experience a great help since he offers good advice. Lucy has only sustained one injury, when she had concussion, but is philosophical about the risk factor. As she says, “There is a chance of injury in all sports and I take every precaution to ensure I am well protected.”
Lots of work
The horses are kept in nearby fields and she and Simon have to share the daily duty of early morning exercising and feeding, afternoon repeat of the food and checking them again later on in the evening. During the season she also has to take them in the horse box for exercise on the gallops at Keith’s place but all the effort is worth it because Lucy is never happier than working with her horses.
She is already looking forward to the start of the new point to point season and pembrokeshiresport.co.uk wishes her every success because it is smashing to report on a young lady who is flying the Pembrokeshire sporting flag with so much distinction!
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