Rohan at Aintree
PONY RIDER'S BIG DAY AT AINTREE
By Rohan Cadney-Moon
Anne Brickell and Keely Harrison asked me to ride Champler's Spring Fever. So I started off with the point-to-point series to get used to the racing - I had never raced before. My best result was when I won the 13.2hh section at Charing.
After the Spring I started the Charles Owen racing series, which took us to all the major race coures, such as Lingfield, Goodwood and Great Yarmouth, where I came 2nd and qualified for Aintree.
On the way up I was so nervous. When we arrived we then had our briefing and met the other jockeys and walked the course. The course seemed very long! Then we had our lunch in the Pavilion Suite - thanks to Aintree race course [YUMMY!]. Then I got changed and weighed in, and quickly watched some racing; where people saw me in my racing colours and couldnt believe that children were about to race. Then I went back up to the weighing room where we got filmed by the BBC on the way to the paddock.
The bell went - my heart was pounding. We mounted and trotted to the start behind the huntsman on the all weather track. At the start they checked our girths and spoke us through the start. This was when I was most nervous - AHHH!
The starter told us to walk in and we had to turn around because there was a false start. This got Bonny (the pony) even more exited. So we walked in again and we were off. Previously Keeley, the trainer, told me to stay in the pack, so I did. By the time there were two furlongs left I was fourth but at the last minute someone overtook me. I ended up 5th, but we were just happy that I got placed. It was great fun. After the prize giving we went back to the Pavilion Suite and wached the video of our race and had our de-brief.
