Switching Saddles: Victoria Pendleton Q&A

Editor
08 March 2015

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On Friday, Victoria Pendleton revealed she is in training to become an amateur jockey with the aim of riding at Cheltenham next year. We caught up with the Olympic and World champion to find out more...

"I'm willing to give things a go, and the bigger the challenge, the more thrilling the opportunity."

What were your initial thoughts on the challenge?

It's a quite a daunting challenge. When I saw the first horse I was going to ride, I thought, that really is quite big. In my mind, it is something that really appeals to me. As crazy as it sounds, it's something I'd like to learn.

What is your motivation?

Since retiring from the sport of track cycling, I felt like there's been something missing in my life. I really enjoyed the schedule and the routine of training, pushing and developing yourself and it's left a really big hole in my life. It's taken me a couple of years to realise I need something significant to fill it.

What do your friends and family think?

They all think I'm crazy but they know it will give me something to look forward to and get out of bed for.

How was your first week training?

My first week's training was really fun. Yogi Breisner and Chris King were awesome teachers and I went from zero, first time checking the length of the girth and stirrups, to actually cantering on a lunge line and I was even in a trot with no hands, which I was really pleased about.

How often do you plan on training?

Ideally I'd like to be at the yard everyday so that I can practice and work on my skills, especially building rapport with horses, which is something you can't just have straight away. I'm going to have to spend a lot of time in the saddle, but I'm looking forward to it.

What do you think it will feel like to experience riding in a race?

I think the race itself is going to be something I'm most familiar with. I like that slightly uncomfortable feeling of 'can I, can't I?'. Unless you truly put yourself in that position, you never really know what you're capable of.