The race is on to find the next budding AP McCoy. Twenty-four pony riders from up and down the country will converge on Newbury Racecourse on 21 September for the finals of the 2014 Charles Owen Pony Racing Series.
Last year’s 138cm final winner, James Bowen, the 13-year-old son of Welsh trainer Peter Bowen, will contest the 148cm final this time round, while other notable names in the line-ups include Abbie and Ella McCain, daughters of Grand National winning trainer Donald McCain, and Jonjo O’Neil’s two sons, Jonjo O’Neill (Jnr) and AJ O’Neill.
Clarissa Daly, chief executive of the Pony Racing Authority (PRA) said: “We are so grateful to Newbury Racecourse for staging these prestigious finals and to Charles Owen who have supported pony racing since 2005. Pony racing graduates are really beginning to make their mark in the jockey ranks — both as amateurs and professionals. The sport provides a fantastic beginning for all those who want to work in the industry either by riding or in other jobs.”