Bridget Andrews (born 1993) is an English National Hunt

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

. In 2018 she became the second professional female jockey to ride a winner at the Cheltenham Festival when she rode Mohaayed to victory in the

County Handicap Hurdle The County Handicap Hurdle is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distan ...

. In 2023 she achieved her second festival win in the same race.

Early life

Andrews grew up on the family farm in Bedfordshire where her parents, former jockeys Simon and Joanna, train point-to-pointers. Simon Andrews rode 170 point-to-point winners in his career, while Joanna rode nine winners in a shorter career. Simon Andrews also won the 1988 Foxhunters' Chase at Aintree on Newnham and the following year came tenth in the

1989 Grand National The 1989 Grand National (officially known as the Seagram Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 143rd renewal of the Grand National Horse racing, horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 8 April 1989 ...

on the same horse. Bridget Andrew's older sister Gina and younger brother Jack are both amateur jockeys and have been ladies and mens champions in point-to-point. Gina Andrews also won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup on Domesday Book at the 2017 Cheltenham festival. Andrews went pony racing before riding in point-to-points and taking the ladies championship title.

Career

Andrews joined

Dan Skelton Dan Skelton is a British horse trainer who trains racehorses that compete in National Hunt racing. Skelton is the son of British Olympic gold medallist Nick Skelton and the older brother of champion jockey Harry Skelton. Skelton spent nine years ...

’s Warwickshire yard as a conditional jockey in 2015. She scored her first Cheltenham Festival win on 16 March 2018 aboard the 33-1 outsider Mohaayed in the Grade 3

County Hurdle A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

, only becoming the second female professional jockey to win at the festival, Lizzie Kelly having won the

Ultima Handicap Chase The Festival Trophy is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 m ...

earlier on the same day. Eleven female amateur jockeys had previously won 20 races at the festival. Eight days later, she achieved her first Grade 2 victory on Roksana in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle Finale at Newbury. There were two further Grade 2 victories in 2021, on Faivoir in the

Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle The Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ f ...

at Haydock Park and on Protecktorat in the

Many Clouds Chase The Many Clouds Chase is a Grade Two National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong (3 miles and 210 yards, o ...

at Aintree. On 21 April 2022, racing at Warwick, Andrews had a fall from her horse, Dazzling Glory. She discovered two weeks later that ongoing soreness in her neck was because she had fractured three vertebrae. The injury led to a lengthy break from racing, but she returned to win the Lanzarote Hurdle on West Bilboa at Kempton on 14 January 2023. Andrews achieved her second Cheltenham festival win on 33-1 outsider Faivoir in the 2023 County Hurdle.

Personal life

In 2019 Andrews married fellow jockey

Harry Skelton Harry Skelton (born 20 September, 1989) is a British jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Skelton was the 2020-2021 British Champion Jump Jockey. Career Skelton started his racing career with Richard Hannon on the flat, before switchin ...

, son of British show jumper and gold medal winning Olympian Nick Skelton and brother of trainer Dan Skelton for whom he rides as stable jockey. Andrews gave birth to a son, Rory, on 27 April 2024.

Cheltenham Festival winners (2)

- (2) Mohaayed (2018), Faivoir (2023)

References

1993 births Living people British female jockeys {{UK-horseracing-bio-stub