Bridget Andrews (born 1993) is an English

National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), 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 ...

. In 2018 she became the second professional female jockey to ride a winner at the

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Race ...

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 dist ...

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

Early life

Andrews grew up on the family farm in

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...

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 Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, northeast of Liverpool city centre. In 2011 the parish had a p ...

on Newnham and the following year came tenth in the 1989 Grand National 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 The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup is a National Hunt steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain for amateur riders; it is open to horses aged five years or older. The chase i ...

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 Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

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

Haydock Park Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. The racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield to the north, Golborne to the east and Newton-le-Willows ...

and on Protecktorat in the Many Clouds Chase at

. On 21 April 2022, racing at

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

, 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 Balboa 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 switchi ...

, son of British

show jumper Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are li ...

and gold medal winning Olympian

Nick Skelton Nicholas David Skelton (born 30 December 1957, Bedworth, Warwickshire) is a British former equestrianism, equestrian who competed in show jumping. He retired at the age of 59 years old, on 5 April 2017. He began riding at age 18 months and in 1 ...

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