Hayley Turner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hayley TurnerOBE |
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | 3 January 1983 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Major races July Cup (2011) Nunthorpe Stakes (2011) |
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| Racing awards | |
| British flat racing Champion Apprentice (joint) (2005) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Dream Ahead, Margot Did | |
Hayley Turner OBE (born 3 January 1983) is a famous English jockey. She races horses in flat racing, which is a type of horse racing without jumps. Hayley is known for being a pioneer for women in the sport.
In 2008, Hayley made history. She became the first woman to win 100 UK flat races in one year. She also won many big races, including two very important Group 1 races. Hayley retired from racing in 2015. She then started working for ITV Racing, a TV channel that shows horse races. But she came back to racing in 2018! Since then, she has won four races at the famous Royal Ascot event.
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Hayley's Early Life and Training
Hayley Turner was born near Nottingham Racecourse in Nottinghamshire. She was one of six daughters. Her mother taught riding, so Hayley learned to ride horses very early. She later worked for a local horse trainer.
Hayley also went to the Northern Racing College. After that, she became an apprentice to trainer Michael Bell in Newmarket, Suffolk. Her first race was on March 27, 2000, at Southwell. Sadly, her horse got hurt, and she didn't finish the race. But her eighth race was a win! She won on Generate at Pontefract on June 4, 2000.
Hayley also trained in other countries. She spent three months training in New Orleans, USA. In 2004, she rode horses for Godolphin in Dubai.
In 2005, Hayley was named Champion Apprentice. This means she was the best young rider that year. She shared the title with Saleem Golam, with 44 wins. That same year, she achieved 95 wins. This meant she "rode out her claim." This is a special achievement for young jockeys. It means they no longer get a weight allowance in races. Hayley was only the fourth woman in Britain to do this.
Hayley's Racing Achievements
In 2008, Hayley made history again. She became the first female jockey to win 100 races in a single year in Britain. This happened when she won on Mullitovermaurice at Wolverhampton. That year, she also won her first Group race. This was on Lady Deauville in Germany. People voted her as Channel 4's Racing Personality of 2008.
In March 2009, Hayley had a bad accident. She was hurt while training at Newmarket. She had a head injury, but she worked hard to recover. She returned to racing later that year. While she couldn't ride, she appeared on TV as a racing expert.
The year 2010 was also very good for Hayley. She rode in her first Group 1 race on Barshiba. She also had great success with a young horse named Margot Did.
In January 2011, Hayley raced in Dubai for the first time. In July 2011, she won her first ever Group 1 race! This was on Dream Ahead at Newmarket in the July Cup. The next month, she won another Group 1 race. This time it was on Margot Did in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. A few weeks later, she broke her ankle in a fall. Despite the injury, she won an award. She was named 'Most Inspirational Sportswoman' in 2011.
In 2012, Hayley had a fantastic year with 92 wins. On May 31, 2012, she became the first female jockey to ride on Dubai World Cup night. On June 2, 2012, she rode in the famous Epsom Derby. She was only the second female jockey to do so. In August 2012, Hayley won a big race in the United States. She won the Beverly D. Stakes on I'm a Dreamer. This made her the first UK-based woman to win a Grade 1 race internationally.
Hayley faced more injuries in 2013. She broke an ankle and later hurt her pelvis and back.
At the end of 2015, Hayley decided to retire from racing. She started a new job in TV with At The Races. However, she got her jockey's license back in 2016. She rode in the Shergar Cup team event at Ascot. In 2017, she joined the new ITV Racing team. Later that year, she raced often in France. Female jockeys there got a special weight allowance. In December 2017, Hayley had a small rule break. She had placed some small bets online after retiring, but still held her jockey's license. This was against the rules. She was suspended for three months. The panel said her betting was not a threat to the sport. After her suspension, Hayley returned to regular racing. She had 44 wins in Britain in 2018.
In June 2019, Hayley won her first race at Royal Ascot! She won the Sandringham Handicap on Thanks Be. This was a huge moment. She was only the second female jockey ever to win at this important meeting. The first was Gay Kelleway in 1987. Hayley won the same race again in 2020 on Onassis. In 2022, she won another race at Royal Ascot. In 2023, she achieved her fourth win at Royal Ascot on Docklands in the Britannia Stakes.
In November 2023, Hayley Turner reached an amazing milestone. She rode her 1,000th winner worldwide! This made her the first female jockey in Europe to do so. She then achieved her 1,000th British win in July 2024.
By 2023, Hayley had competed in the Shergar Cup a record sixteen times. She won the "silver saddle" award twice. This award goes to the best jockey at the meeting. In 2024, she was the captain of the Ladies team, and they won! She also won the silver saddle again.
Honours and Awards
Hayley Turner was given a special award in 2016. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for her great contributions to horse racing.
Personal Life
Hayley Turner lives near Newmarket, a famous horse racing town. She has coeliac disease, which means she cannot eat gluten. So, she follows a gluten-free diet.
Winners per Year
Here are Hayley's wins each year:
- 2023: 38
- 2022: 37
- 2021: 48
- 2020: 20
- 2019: 28
- 2018: 45
- 2017: 16 (including 10 in France and 1 in Mauritius)
- 2016: 1
- 2015: 44
- 2014: 40
- 2013: 60
- 2012: 92
- 2011: 88 (season ended early due to injury)
- 2010: 73
- 2009: 60 (missed several months due to injury)
- 2008: 100
- 2007: 56
- 2006: 36
- 2005: 53
- 2004: 34 (including Apprentice Championship with 27 wins during Turf season)
- 2003: 14
- 2002: 9
- 2000: 1
Major Wins
- July Cup - (1) - Dream Ahead (2011)
- Nunthorpe Stakes - (1) - Margot Did (2011)
- Beverly D. Stakes – (1) – I'm A Dreamer (2012)
