To most sports fans the thought of playing on the hallowed Wembley turf before an FA Cup Final or driving a Formula One car at Silverstone prior to the British Grand Prix or playing a round of golf at St Andrews on the morning of The Open Championship would be just a dream.
At Aintree, those ambitions have been turned into fact thanks to the John Smith’s People’s Race. The John Smith’s People’s Race is a unique event in the world of sport, allowing 10 members of the public the chance to ride against each other in a charity Flat race at Aintree on John Smith’s Grand National day.
Last year’s inaugural event attracted over 3,000 entries and generated over £100,000 for charity. The 2008 contest is set to be even bigger and better, with the organisers hoping to break the £500,000 mark for Sport Relief. This year’s lucky 10 participants - who will experience the thrill of riding in front of the packed Aintree stands on John Smith’s Grand National day - Saturday, April 5 - will be whittled down from the thousands of initial applicants.
A panel of expert judges from Aintree, John Smith’s plus the top two racing colleges in the country - the British Racing School in Newmarket and the Northern Racing College in Doncaster - selects the final short-list of 32.
That number reduces to 16 after an intensive riding and fitness assessment. Each ‘rider’ then goes to a leading racehorse trainer, riding out regularly and working on their style in the saddle, while building up their levels of fitness needed to steer a half-ton racehorse.
The final selection process in March will reduce the number going forward down to 10.
The 2007 race featured riders from all walks of life, brought together by a common dream of riding in a horserace.
The finish was fought out last year by Kevin Old, a 45-year-old pawnbroker from Bournemouth, and Vanessa Marston, 44, a dental practice manager from Helperby near York. Old’s only family connection with horses growing up was through his brother, Gary, a ‘journeyman’ jump jockey, who landed the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1974 on True Song.
He explained: “I have always loved horseracing. My elder brother was a jockey and I always looked up to him. To get the chance to actually ride in a race at Aintree - it’s something I never thought would happen. “The training was tough. I was running about five miles a day and also practising on an Equiciser - a mechanical horse - although it was difficult to be on that for long! “In the race, I managed to poach an early lead. I remember looking up and seeing the furlong-marker and just concentrated on keeping my balance and pushing my horse. We won well, but I was very tired at the end.”
Vanessa Marston, a mother of two, enjoyed the experience so much she still rides out regularly for her appointed trainer, Mick Easterby. She commented: “It’s a real thrill to ride a racehorse on the gallops. I used to own a nine-year-old mare and ride her out, thinking she was quite quick, but now I realise she wasn’t! “The thing that I most remember about the day is when I was legged up. Because the parade ring at Aintree is elevated, I suddenly realised how high up I was - it looked a long way down to the ground.
“Riding in a race has been a long-held ambition since I was young. I told the career’s officer at school I wanted to be a jockey, but was told to forget it. I loved the experience and now I have achieved my dream.”
