She won’t be riding there next week, but the Olympic cyclist has her heart set on the 2016 Festival
Inter-sport swapping by athletes is an increasing phenomenon but this one is a bit different from the norm. The BBC are reporting that Victoria Pendelton, a gold medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in track cycling, is switching to horse racing, and aims to become a jockey.
The 34-year-old quit cycling and now, with a little help from top trainer Paul Nicholls, her ambition is to ride at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival.
“I’ve been looking for a new challenge,” said Pendleton.
“My team and I have identified the ambitious target of riding competitively in the Foxhunters Chase at Cheltenham Festival next year, but the initial focus will be on getting me to a level whereby I am granted an amateur jockey licence, which is a significant challenge in itself given that I had never even sat on a horse until a week ago.”
What Pendleton is attempting to do, going from a complete novice to the pinnacle of amateur riding in 12 months is ambitious to say the least, but Nicholls believes it is more than possible: “Victoria Pendleton is an outstanding athlete with a real drive and determination, so whilst this is an incredibly difficult challenge, these attributes are exactly what you need to become a jockey.”
