Christian Howarth

Many children grow up with hopes and dreams of becoming the next sporting star. Some try to follow in the footsteps of their heroes, whilst others forge their own path. Whatever it is, making a name for yourself in an already overcrowded field can sometimes be impossible. But, for Christian Howarth, after only one year of riding, he is truly putting his stamp on the sport of horseracing. 

Christian has loved sport from a young age; however, for several years his main interest was football. He was en route to be signed by Cambridge United, but after being let go, he decided to look elsewhere to fulfil his sporting potential. It was only last year that horseracing was suggested to Christian as he is ‘small and light’, thus being the perfect build for a jockey. In July 2020, he applied to The British Racing School and that is where his story truly begins. 

Although Christian’s father has worked in racing, at the top level, for many years, only got on a horse at the age of sixteen! Of course, as a new and upcoming jockey, Christian is still learning something new every day on the job. He says - ‘I’ve learnt so many different lessons through my experience, like judging the pace in a race and positioning, particularly during all weathers, different ways to settle horses and I feel this only came with actually riding in the races.’ It is not only the physical lessons that Christian has been learning, the mental aspect of a race is just as important to factor in, ‘this can be challenging as you always want to ride to orders and keep the trainer and owner happy and it can also be hard to deal with things if the race doesn’t go to plan.’ Christian is still an apprentice jockey, so these lessons will still be coming thick and fast, but this is not stopping him from becoming an impressive jockey with immense potential. 

Even though Christian has not been riding for that long, he still has ridden on a range of horses. His favourite so far has been ‘Echo Point’ who he rode for Charlie Appleby, and came in the very respectable position of second. If he were able to choose any horse to ride, currently Christian would set his sights on ‘Love of Aidan O’Brien’ as she is ‘super consistent and has been at the top of her game for the last couple of seasons.’ Riding 

established horses can be one way of securing a win, but riders also need dedication, mental strength and true talent to get their name in the hall of fame. This is where Christian is aiming for, and to do so, he looks to his idols, such as Frankie Dettori, James Doyle and William Buick, all who have worked with his father over the years and have unquestionably been ‘at the top of their game for a very long time.’ 

Obviously riding a winner is the best possible outcome for jockeys and it is this, as well as ‘doing something [he] is passionate about’ that motivates Christian to keep going. For Christian, ‘after a bad race, it can be tough mentally and social media plays a big part in that negativity, but being around people who experience the same thing helps as we support each other... I am also fortunate to have a very supportive family and close friends.’ The highs and lows of horseracing can be frequent and sometimes overwhelming; however, Christian is currently dating a fellow jockey, so once they got past the initial friendly rivalry they can now ‘motivate and support each other.’ 

For many jockeys, days off are few and far between, but when he can get off the saddle, Christian loves spending time with his girlfriend and family, a true family man. His inspiration comes from his parents who constantly inspire him to be the best he can and support have supported him throughout his journey into horseracing. As for his future in the sport, he hopes to continue on the brilliant upward trajectory he is on, ‘I’m happy and content [as a jockey], but maybe one day I would like to travel more, doing the same thing. Doing what I am makes me feel very lucky and fortune. It can be a tough job both mentally and physically, especially in the winter, but everyone in racing deserves recognition for the part they play.’ 

Be sure to follow Christian on Instagram to keep up with his success: @chrishowarth01 

About the author - Molly Raby

Molly Raby is a member of The Gold and Green writing team and recently graduated from Salford university. I have always had a passion for writing and that was furthered during my time at university as I studied English Language and Creative Writing. I have always been interested in journalism as a career and wrote a few pieces for the university newspaper which allowed me to find my voice.

I have been actively looking for journalistic writing opportunities, so once I came across Green and Gold Crowd Racing and realised they were in need of a journalistic content writer, I knew I couldn’t let this chance pass me by. I am extremely excited to begin working here and representing those within this amazing community to the best of my ability.

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