FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR RICHARD DAVIS AWARDS IN JETS 30TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
The finalists for next week’s JETS Richard Davis Awards have been announced today. The winners of these annual career development Awards will be revealed at Warwick Racecourse on Tuesday 4th November at a special Awards lunch which also celebrates the 30th anniversary of JETS.
Former Jump Jockey Tom Scudamore will host the Awards presentation prior to racing with the winners in three Award categories being announced in front of invited representatives from across the industry before being presented with their trophies in the parade ring ahead of the JETS Richard Davis Awards Handicap Chase.
The Awards, first held in 1997, offer £7000 in prizemoney and celebrate the achievements of both current and former jockeys, with this year’s finalists showcasing the number of different industries jockeys can enjoy careers in beyond the saddle.
The finalists in the three categories are as follows:
BHA Development Award
Oliver Boyden – Conditional Jockey
Elizabeth Gale – Apprentice Jockey
Conor Rabbitt – Conditional Jockey
IJF Progress Award
Aled Beech – Counselling
Tommy Eyston - Neuroscience
Dale Irving – Equine Dentistry
The Jockey Club Achievement Award
Thomas Brown – Ambulance Service
Joshua Crane - Pilot
Alexander Thorne - Accounting
Tom Scudamore, who has carried out various training courses with the support of JETS, said:
“Each year the standard of entries for the Richard Davis Awards gets higher and higher and this is particularly noticeable with the BHA Development Award where the Apprentice and Conditional jockeys have shown great initiative and determination to advance every aspect of their career both in and out of the saddle. We are really looking forward to celebrating the achievements of all the finalists next week."
New JETS Manager, Rachel Jones, said:
“I am delighted to have joined JETS in the 30th anniversary year and I think this year’s Richard Davis Award finalists are a fitting way to recognise the services JETS has provided over decades to help jockeys succeed in such a vast range of careers. From neuroscience and equine dentistry to flying commercial passenger planes and saving lives in the ambulance service, JETS has supported all our finalists every step of the way to achieve their ambitions. We continue to be grateful to our sponsors for their ongoing support which enables us to celebrate so many fantastic career achievements of jockeys and former jockeys.”
The three Richard Davis Award categories are:
The Jockey Club Achievement Award, worth £3,000 to the winner, 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, worth £2,000 to the winner, rewards the early progress of those jockeys who have more recently started out on a new career/training path.
The BHA Development Award, worth £1,000 to the winner, 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.