Jockey Bryony Frost by Wikimedia is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Jockey Bryony Frost is the darling of British horse racing. The star steeplechase jockey made history last year on Boxing Day when she was the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase aboard Frodon at Kempton.
She is drawing top mounts from trainer Paul Nicholls and capitalizing on the opportunities those are providing for her.
In 2018, her first year as a professional jockey, Frost rode Milansbar to the solid fifth-place finish in her first Grand National race. The top steeplechase event in the world, wagering on the Grand National is offered by leading North American online betting sites like Bovada sportsbook.
However, Frost’s quick route to success has also brought her unwanted attention. She’s been shunned and given the cold shoulder by some of her peers. One jockey, Robbie Dunne, went as far as to accuse Frost of careless riding that caused the death of his mount Cillian’s Well in a September 3rd, 2020 handicap chase at Southwell.
It’s all led to a frosty relationship between Frost and several of her fellow riders.
The Accusation
Frost was aboard Wisecracker in the aforementioned Sept. 3 race. Going over a jump, Wisecracker appeared to drift to the left. This caused Dunne and Cillian’s Well to be knocked to the ground. A third horse, Dragon Khan, also went down and looked to have trampled over Dunne and Cillian’s Well.
Taken back to the stable, Cillian’s Well reportedly began hemorrhaging and later died.
Afterward, Dunne confronted Frost in the jockey’s room and accused her of careless riding that was the cause of his horse’s death.
Since then, Frost has accused other riders of bullying her. The entire matter is currently being investigated by the British Horseracing Authority.
“There is also – to be quite open about it – jealousy of how much attention she gets and the horses she rides on,” a source familiar with the investigation told the Daily Mail.
“Not everything that is being investigated is in the public arena at the moment – there is more to come out.”
For his part, Dunne had little to say on the matter when approached by the Times. “Most jockeys work on the basis that what happens in the weighing room stays in the weighing room,” Dunne said.
“It’s under BHA investigation. Leave them to do their work.”
“Jockey Bryony Frost riding” by The Times is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Is It Simple Jealousy?
It’s not unusual in the horse racing world for veteran horse people to become unsettled by and give a cool reception to a young sensation suddenly enjoying success at the track.
Certainly, it would appear that for all her success, Frost feels the need to walk on eggshells when talking about her situation. “I struggle and I’ve got to make sure I don’t say anything too much,” Frost told the Guardian.
She did admit that her and other young jockeys are sometimes shunned by some veteran riders.
‘It’s a difficult topic at the minute, because there are ongoing things that need to be sorted out and there is protection that needs to be given to others,” Frost continued.
“So at the moment I can’t go too much into it. But it’s something I’m going to be trying extremely hard to make better and move forward in a positive way. But at the minute my hands are tied as to how much I can go into such things.
“There are always going to be a few people that frown. Opinions are opinions, not facts, and I think for our younger generation there are things that must be improved. It’s finding the support to become who you need to be.
“I will do my best to help everyone and give them all the time in the world I can. Other people give me time and I believe that should always be passed on.”
Following In Her Father’s Footsteps
Certainly, it can be stated that Frost comes by her talent naturally. Her father, current trainer Jimmy Frost, rode Little Polveir to victory in the 1989 Grand National.
He agrees with her daughter’s take that the cold shoulder treatment is a detriment to the sport. So much so that it’s souring him on encouraging young people to get into the racing game.
“I just think it’s a tough world at the moment to go into and it shouldn’t be,” the elder Frost told the Daily Telegraph. “It should come into the 21st century, and we should look after each youngster.
“It’s probably getting to the stage where I would struggle to recommend it to a youngster.”
