Devon-born Bryony Frost has been named Stobart Jockey of the Month for March 2019 after receiving an impressive 52% of the vote ahead of fellow nominees Harry Skelton and Nico De Boinville who both received 24%.
Frost became somewhat of a national treasure following her win aboard Frodon in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – resulting in becoming the first female to win a Grade 1 at The Festival.
The win was the standout moment during the four days with her post-race interview stealing the hearts of the nation. Recalling the win, she said: “He allowed an amazing moment not just for me but for everyone who watched the race. I feel so proud and privileged to have been the one to have shared it with him. He showcased exactly what determination is.
“It’s mind-blowing – we both had to step up and give everything. He went over the last fence like an aeroplane taking off from the runaway. Nowhere else in the world do you get that relationship like you do with your horse.”
On being named Stobart Jockey of the Month, Frost said: “I’m delighted and grateful to everyone who voted it really does mean the world to me, but it’s not just my achievement it’s the horses, and all the trainers and owners that have supported me. For everyone who is running with me, it’s epic. It’s our achievement.”
The 23-year-old has been going from strength to strength all season, and her four wins in March takes her tally to 49 for the season and on the verge of clinching the Stobart Conditional Jockeys’ Championship.
However, March was a month of mixed emotions for Frost, with her suffering a broken collarbone after falling at Southwell just four days after the historic win and will now miss this week’s Randox Health Grand National Festival at Aintree.
Despite that, Frost is determined to return to action before the end of the campaign, with securing the half-century mark and becoming Stobart Champion Conditional Champion at the forefront of her mind.
She said: “There are high and low waves – the lows last longer than the highs but it’s the support under you that allows you to get riding the high ones quicker. To think we are so close to reaching 50 winners and winning the Stobart Conditional Jockeys’ Championship is what’s striving me on through this injury. It would be massive. For me, my agent, Paul Nicholls, Neil King, my dad, the owners. Our horses are our world.”
In winning the competition Frost is awarded £1,000 as well as £500 to donate to a charity of her choice. She has selected Devon Air Ambulance as the charity for her donation.
The Stobart Jockey of the Month competition is organised by Great British Racing in partnership with Sun Racing received a record amount of votes this month with over 3,600 votes.
Image credit: Great British Racing. Frodon photograph: Ian Yates.
Karen can usually be found glued to her computer or at the stables. Having edited several national magazines she co-founded Eclipse Magazine in 2008 after realising that many of her friends were nervous about going racing due to lack of information – what to wear, how to bet etc.
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