JETS Announce Finalists for Richard Davis Awards 2018
The three finalists for The Jockey Club Achievement Award have been selected by the judging panel for this year’s JETS Richard Davis Awards. The winner and runners-up will be announced at a special presentation ceremony at Cheltenham Racecourse on Sunday 18th November along with winners of the IJF Progress Award winner and the BHA Current Jockey CPD Award.
Rodi Greene, John Pritchard and Sophia Upton were shortlisted from the original set of entries and demonstrate the wide range of careers that jockeys go on to enjoy after race riding.
After being forced to retire through injury, JETS helped Rodi Greene with a number of training courses before he set up as a Jockey Coach. He is now one of the busiest coaches working as part of the Award winning Jockey Coaching Programme with 25 Apprentice and Conditional jockeys on his books. He has coached two Champion Apprentices and is renowned for his dedicated, patient coaching style which he is able to adapt to the needs of each jockey. John Pritchard initially got involved in the blind and shutter making business in 2009 through an owner contact from his riding days. He set up Charbel Blinds with his partner earlier this year and already has plans to expand the business further. After her riding career finished Sophia Upton (nee Mitchell) took time out to raise a family before applying for her first job and dream role as a starter for the BHA. Since joining as a sessional starter three years ago, she has more than doubled her number of days and is an established figure on the starting team and qualified under both Flat and Jump codes.
The Awards are named in memory of Jump Jockey Richard Davis who had started career planning before he was tragically killed in a race fall in 1996. In their 21st year, the Awards showcase the wide range of support that JETS provides in helping jockeys develop successful second careers.
The three Richard Davis Award categories are:
The Jockey Club Achievement Award is worth £3,000 to the winner and is designed for those jockeys who have significantly achieved in pursuing their new chosen careers. Two runners-up receive £500 each.
The IJF Progress Award is worth £2,000, rewards the early progress of those jockeys who have more recently started out on a new career/training path.
The BHA Current Jockey CPD Award, worth £1,000, was introduced in 2017 for currently licensed jockeys who have shown real commitment to their CPD (Continued Personal Development) whilst riding or during injury time out in order to enhance their development as a jockey or to assist with their dual career development.
Lisa Delany, JETS Manager, said, “As ever, we were delighted with the quality of entrants for this year’s Richard Davis Awards and all three Achievement finalists have shown total commitment to their new careers. Former jockeys are often praised for their work ethic and dedication by employers and each of our finalists has faced unique challenges in their second careers which they have dealt with brilliantly. I can only congratulate them on their motivation and focus and I am glad JETS has helped all of them to make such a success of their new roles. The fact that they are recognised by these Awards is testament to their hard work over the years.”
More details about the Richard Davis Awards as well as profiles on the finalists can be found here.