She’s off! Pendleton to ride at Cheltenham
Olympic gold medallist is given green light to take her place at the Festival
National Hunt racing is a very
dangerous sport, but I feel I am capable
ONE YEAR ago Victoria Pendleton embarked on a mission that many in horse racing thought impossible — to be a jockey in a big race at the Cheltenham Festival.
The double Olympic cycling gold medallist had not even ridden a horse before she was given her first riding lesson by Great Britain three-day event team performance manager yogi Breisner on March 9, 2015.
Her starring roles since winning gold at the London 2012 Olympics had come in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and ITV soap Emmerdale. But yesterday, after a rollercoaster 12 months of training, point-to-point rides, falls and a first win over jumps at Wincanton, the 35-year- old was beaming with pride as she got the Festival go-ahead.
Pendleton believes completing the course on Pacha Du Polder in next week’s Foxhunter Chase will rate alongside winning her two Olympic gold medals.
She will certainly experience something new at the Festival where there will be a bigger field — the Foxhunter usually has more than 20 runners — and a faster tempo and intensity than in normal professional races.
There is also the chance this could end badly. Jump racing is at its most unpredictable at the Festival. a fall among the flailing hooves of a 20-runner steeplechase is a frightening prospect.
Pendleton, who has less than 20 rides over jumps under her belt, said: ‘In my mind, I feel being able to line up at Cheltenham is like winning a bronze medal at the Olympics. If I complete the course that will be like winning gold.
‘Olympic medals are like a dream — you don’t think they are possible. From the start of this challenge, I have not allowed myself to think it was impossible but I never thought it was a sure thing.
‘Working with horses, I have had to improve my mental approach because a horse is very intuitive. It feels what you are feeling.
‘This challenge has allowed me to push myself at the control aspect because you have to be relaxed and focused. I am proud of what I have accomplished.’
Pendleton said achieving her goal of riding at the meeting had also required her to take her athletic performance ‘to a new level’.
Taking part in the amateur rider race which follows the Cheltenham Gold Cup a week on Friday and is run over the same three-mile, twoand-a-half furlong distance hadn’t looked in doubt since Pendleton won her first race at Wincanton on Pacha Du Polder last Wednesday.
The victory helped ease the doubts created when she was unseated, albeit unluckily, at Fakenham on the same horse less than a fortnight earlier.
It was an exit which prompted some big racing names to question the wisdom of allowing Pendleton to ride at Cheltenham, notably former champion jump jockey John Francome who called her ‘an accident waiting to happen’.
Those supporting her have included 20-time champion Sir anthony McCoy and Grand National- winning j ockey Mick Fitzgerald.
Pendleton was given the green light to take part by a panel of experts — champion trainer Paul Nicholls, Breisner and trainer Lawney Hill and her husband alan.
Pendleton said there were times in recent weeks when her mind had been ‘in turmoil’ over whether she should be involved at the Cheltenham Festival.
She added: ‘It was not an easy decision to make. In fact, I have been in complete turmoil over the last few weeks thinking how I would tackle this situation.
‘I appreciate it is a decision which should not be taken lightly. National Hunt r acing i s an extremely dangerous sport, there are lots of risks involved but I feel that I am capable of lining up.
‘I would like to thank the jockeys who have publicly supported me — AP McCoy, aidan Coleman and Tom Scudamore. Their positivity has helped me through.’
Pacha Du Polder is trained by Nicholls, who conceded Pendleton had to win him over, saying: ‘at the beginning I was a little bit dubious but, to be fair, she has improved so much she is ready for the challenge.
‘Wincanton last week was a big day. It went very well. From the start, the enthusiasm and courage of Victoria has been to the fore.
‘The improvement from month to month has been absolutely incredible. We have put her in at the deep end and, for the last couple of months, she has been schooling Pacha Du Polder.
‘In one session, she schooled over 32 fences with Sam Twiston-Davies and Nick Scholfield and coped very well. Pacha Du Polder is the ideal horse to ride in the Foxhunter. He is a good jumper, has lots of ability and travels well.’
Briesner is convinced Pendleton is equipped to ride. He added: ‘Throughout the whole process, it has been a step-by-step thing. But once she started cantering and standing up in the stirrups, she felt more at home.
‘When Victoria started jumping, we saw she had the ability to see and stride (take-off) into a fence.
‘That is something we are either born with or not. She has a feel for what a horse is doing and has basically crammed three years into one.’
Pendleton refutes suggestions that her participation at the Festival will be a distraction.
She has also been well-paid for her ‘Switching Saddles’ challenge which has been backed by betting exchange Betfair.
It has been claimed she has been paid around £250,000, with Betfair paying for her time and image rights to get round amateur rider rules.
Despite her dedication — she has been riding out at the Hills almost every day — what she cannot recreate are the innate reactions to unforeseen twists engrained in the horsemen and women she will be up against. For that reason, the decision to let her ride is a gamble and one her team will feel nervous about as the Foxhunter nears.
William Hill make her 16-1 to win the race but odds on, 8-11, that she fails to complete or is outside the first 10.
That is probably the most likely outcome with Pacha Du Polder’s stamina f or the distance not certain. But, in this case, the odds should not matter. Completing will be a victory for Victoria.