Former jockey George Chaloner joins management team at Pontefract

Two months after he announced his retirement from race-riding George Chaloner has joined Pontefract racecourse as part of its management team.

Chaloner, 25, will begin his new job at the end of this month, nearly a year after suffering a fall at Newcastle that ended his seven-year career as a jockey during which he won the Wokingham Handicap and Northumberland Plate.

He said: "I'm delighted to have been given the opportunity to have a new career in racing and am really looking forward to my new role at Pontefract. After an awful 2017 the new year has started really well for me."

Chaloner: I never want to sit on a horse again. I can't take it any more

That fall could hardly have come at a worse time and it was his first ride back having spent the previous three months working his way back to full fitness having suffered a similar fall at Wolverhampton the previous November.

Following two weeks in hospital in Newcastle with a broken foot and T8 vertebra Chaloner vowed he never wanted to sit on a horse again, but he was keen to maintain his links with racing.

The ups: Chaloner winning the Northumberland Plate on Angel Gabrial

The downs: Chaloner on a stretcher awaiting treatment after a fall at Wolverhampton

He said: "Soon after I announced my retirement Pontefract's Richard Hamill contacted me to wish me well and to say they might have a job coming up that would suit me.

"I went for an interview and have been given a position there working alongside Richard and Norman Gundill."

Gundill, the course's managing director, said: "With our continued success it became clear we needed to expand our management team and we thought George was the ideal person to join us.

"He'll be primarily involved with Richard on the promotion and marketing side but will also train as a clerk of the course, which for me is a young man's job. His expertise and ability to communicate with the jockeys will be really useful."

George Chaloner with Malcolm Jefferson at Aintree in OctoberCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

After recovering from his fall last year Chaloner began to lay the foundations for a second career in racing. He shadowed some of the racecourse starters and stipendiary stewards for a while and then spent time with the groundstaff and Anthea Morshead, assistant clerk of the course, on non-racedays at York.

Chaloner added: "I'd like to thank William Derby, who kindly let me work at York, which gave me a good insight into that side of racing, and also to trainer Malcolm Jefferson, who has been so supportive and helpful since my latest fall.

"It has been a pretty horrendous 12 months but now I can move on into what is going to be a really interesting and challenging job."

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