A rider who lost all her luggage — including her saddle — overcame a nightmare journey to win a race wearing completely borrowed kit.
Amateur jockey Antonia Peck was flying to Germany to compete in the most recent leg of the Fegentri World Championship series, but a cominbation of long delays and a missed connection in Frankfurt resulted in her luggage going AWOL.
“I didn’t stress, I’m not really a panicker, but I’m a twin and I know my sister might not have been so calm,” Antonia laughed.
The next connecting flight was full, but at the last moment she managed to get a seat. When she landed in Magdeburg, her case was missing and she was told it would arrive at her hotel.
“I woke up the next morning and it still hadn’t arrived,” she told H&H. “Although it did finally turn up at 8pm that night — after the race!”
The Winner Antonia Peck ??. Photo courtesy © galoppfoto.de Frank Sorge.
Posted by Fegentri on Thursday, May 30, 2019
Thankfully, the other jockeys stepped in to kit her out and make sure she could still take part.
US rider Eilidh Grant leant her a saddle, Karen Dieltjens from Belgium had a spare pair of breeches, with Germany’s Silke Brüggemann producing a pair of tights and Mikki Caddedu lending her a helmet.
“They were all so helpful, but it was awful not riding in my own saddle. Everyone was brilliant and that’s just what the Fegentri series is like,” Antonia said.
“It is such a great opportunity, I know most of the girls now and we are all good friends and have a great time.”
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The worldwide series for amateur jockeys is run on the Flat for ladies and both on the Flat and over fences for men. The leaderboard is calculated via a points system; Antonia’s win in Germany and fourth place in Oman in April meant she is currently lying in equal third on the ladies’ championship leaderboard.
Her win in Magdeburg came aboard the five-year-old Hellomoto for trainer Katja Gernreich. Antonia also took third on another ride for Katja that evening aboard Scouting For Girls.
The 19-year-old work rider for James Owen is a familiar face on the Arabian racing and point-to-point circuits. She has also had winners under Rules on the Flat and over hurdles for trainers Kelly and Laura Morgan.
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