Hollie Doyle shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 9 things you need to know about this record-breaking young jockey

Hollie Doyle has just been announced as a shortlisted nominee for this year’s BBc Sports Personality of the Year Award. Here’s all you need to know about the exciting young jockey, who has already rocked 2020...

In the blood

The 23-year-old comes from a racing background. Her father, Clonmel native Mark Doyle, is a former jockey and her mother, Caroline, rode in Arab races.

Hollie grew up in Herefordshire, where the family had ponies and point-to-pointers. She was a member of the Herefordshire branch of the Pony Club and first took to the saddle aged nine.

A winning start

Her first ride under Rules as an amateur jockey came at Salisbury in May 2013 on a horse called The Mongoose — and it was a winning debut. After completing her GCSEs in 2013, Hollie joined the yard of David Evans in Wales. During the winter months, she spent six weeks riding out in Santa Anita, California.

Apprentice success

On becoming an apprentice jockey, Hollie moved to the Wiltshire yard of Richard Hannon in  2014 and she rode out her claim in November 2017. As an apprentice, she was victorious in the Listed Upavon Fillies’ Stakes on Billesdon Bess at Salisbury in August 2017.

Taking it all in her stride

Hollie may be small in stature but she is as tough as they come. In June 2018, Hollie took a nasty tumble in a race at Haydock and suffered facial injuries, including several lost teeth. However, just 10 days later she returned to her day job race-riding.

Record setter

In 2019, Hollie set a new record for the number of winners ridden in a season by a female jockey after 116 victories — surpassing Josephine Gordon’s record of 106 wins set in 2017. Hollie’s first Royal Ascot winner came this year, when she partnered 33/1 chance Scarlet Dragon to win the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes. This record has been broken by Hollie again in 2020 and to-date has clocked up 136 winners this season, despite racing being suspended for 75 days owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

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A dream job

This year also saw Hollie claim her first Group race in July when Dame Malliot won the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket. In the same month, she bagged a dream job as retained jockey for Imad Al Sagar and in August she won on Extra Elusive for her new boss — her second Group race victory.

A talented duo

Hollie met her partner Tom Marquand, who is also now an established jockey, at Pony Club and they were apprentice jockeys together at Richard Hannon’s yard.

Group One victory

In October Hollie rode her first ever Group One winner on Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot. She was riding the Archie Watson-trained Glen Shiel.

Already an award winner

Last month Hollie was named the 2020 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year. She joined the illustrious list of winners, which includes Denise Lewis, Dame Kelly Holmes and 2019 winner Dina Asher-Smith.

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