Karen Wiltshire: Pioneering female jockey on overcoming abuse and ridicule

Despite the victory, chances of gaining another remained limited.

The following year she ended her career after 18 rides, which included one runner-up spot at Epsom and three third-placed finishes.

While opportunities have improved, Wiltshire said she was not surprised there had been a recent high-profile case of sexism in British racing, with Robbie Dunne completing a 10-month ban two years ago for bullying fellow jockey Bryony Frost, who now rides in France.

“She was very brave in taking it further. I just hope it has not hindered her opportunities with trainers over here,” she said.

Last year the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) unveiled a strategy to improve safety and wellbeing after revealing it had investigated more than 350 safeguarding and human welfare concerns within the sport since 2018. It did not say how many cases had been proven, but nearly half the reports were concerned with either sexual misconduct or bullying.

The BHA has also launched initiatives to encourage women to stay in the sport after statistics showed that three-quarters of graduates from the two main racing schools were female, but only 15% of professional jockeys were women.

“I thought by now 30% of professional jockeys would be women, and you don’t see many women having big races in the Classics like the Derby,” said Wiltshire.

“I’d like to see five to 10% extra prize money for trainers who use female jockeys in the Classics.”

Wiltshire is now a fitness instructor at her own gym in Hampshire and says her grown-up daughter Lara is amazed and proud of her story – a career which saw her ride against great jockeys like Lester Piggott, Willie Carson, Pat Eddery and Walter Swinburn.

“That first win proved it could be done. A lot of people want to go to see women racing now and people realise they have similar abilities,” she said.