Since 1977, female jockeys have been allowed in the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap st ...

horse race following the passing of the

Sex Discrimination Act 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (c. 65) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which protected men and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marital status. The Act concerned employment, training, education, harassmen ...

. A total of 19 female jockeys have entered the Grand National since then. Charlotte Brew on her horse, Barony Fort, was the first woman to compete in the race, in 1977. In 1982 Geraldine Rees became the first woman to complete the course. She rode Cheers to eighth place. That time, Brew returned with her horse Martinstown; this was the first Grand National with two female jockeys entering. In 1988, female participation was at an all-time high, as three women entered for the first time. Penny Ffitch-Heyes,

Venetia Williams Venetia Williams (born 10 May 1960) is an English racehorse trainer specialising in National Hunt racing. She is based at stables at Aramstone in Herefordshire, England. Williams was born at Scorrier House, Cornwall and began as a racehorse tra ...

and Gee Armytage all started the race. None of their horses made the finish. In 2005, after an absence of 11 years, there was once again a woman entering the Grand National. Carrie Ford finished in fifth, then the joint-best performance by a woman. She shared the record with Rosemary Henderson, the last female jockey to start the race. In 2012, the first female jockey to finish in the top three was Katie Walsh on Seabass.

Nina Carberry Nina Carberry (born 19 July 1984) is a retired Irish female National Hunt jockey. She hails from a racing family and is the daughter of jockey Tommy Carberry. Career Carberry got her first Cheltenham Festival win in 2005 on Dabiroun in the Fred ...

and Katie Walsh both started six Grand Nationals, a joint record for a woman. In 2021,

Rachael Blackmore Rachael Blackmore (born 11 July 1989) is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. In 2021, she became the first female jockey to win the Grand National in the 182-year history of the race. She also became the first woman to be lea ...

Female jockeys

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