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Lorna Brooke: a talented amateur who travelled far and wide pursuing her passion

Lorna Brooke after gaining her biggest success in the saddle on Moonlone Lane at Fairyhouse in 2015
Lorna Brooke after gaining her biggest success in the saddle on Moonlone Lane at Fairyhouse in 2015Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Lorna Brooke was a talented amateur jockey who rode 17 winners under rules in Britain and Ireland and took more than 400 rides.

Brooke also rode 40 point-to-point winners, often when carrying her mother's orange and brown colours, and travelled far and wide to pursue her passion from her base in the Welsh borders.

She made her debut under rules on Hag's Way as a teenager in February 2002 for her mother Lady Susan Brooke and celebrated her first winner aboard Super Nomad in the Ludlow Gold Cup Hunters' Chase in April 2007 before the pair followed up at the track in March 2008.

Her biggest victory came in the inaugural running of the Ladies Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse in 2015 with 25-1 shot Moonlone Lane for Paul Stafford. She beat top riders such as Katie Walsh, Lizzie Kelly and Rachael Blackmore.


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She was selected by the Amateur Jockeys Association of Great Britain for the ride and showed it was no fluke when partnering Moonlone Lane on his next start and winning at Musselburgh.

Brooke also represented Great Britain in Arabian racing in Bahrain and Poland in 2015 as part of the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Series and competed in its final in Abu Dhabi.

In 2018, she competed alongside Jodie Hughes in Mauritius and twice rode in Germany in 2019 as part of a team of British jockeys.

Away from the saddle, she and fellow amateur jockey Jane Williams cycled the length of Britain from John O'Groats to Land's End to raise £25,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund following the career-ending fall suffered by champion amateur Isabel Tompsett in 2011.

Lorna Brooke: celebrating the biggest win of her career at Fairyhouse
Lorna Brooke: celebrating the biggest win of her career at FairyhouseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

While she rode more than 300 times for her her mother, Brooke also represented a number of other trainers, including John Groucott, for whom she rode three winners, Tom Symonds and Evan Williams.

She recorded her best season in 2013-14 with three winners and equalled that score in 2017-18, while she was most successful at Ludlow, where she won six times from more than 100 rides. She particularly shined in chases, winning 15 times over fences.


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Brooke rode her final winner under rules at Ludlow in October 2019 aboard Shininstar for Groucott in an amateur riders' handicap chase. She partnered Shininstar to three wins in total, the same number Spock achieved for her between October 2016 and December 2017.

In her final season, when amateur participation was limited due to Covid-19 restrictions, she had 29 rides and was second three times.

Published on 19 April 2021inNews

Last updated 12:23, 20 April 2021

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