Sport

Pembrokeshire jockey named Ffos Las ambassador

Published

6 years ago

March 27, 2019

PEMBROKESHIRE jockey Sean Bowen is to become an official ambassador for Ffos Las Racecourse.

Sean, 21, is from Little Newcastle, and has risen up the riding ranks in the last five years and is now one of the top 10 jump jockeys in the country. He comes from a family who have made a big impression on jump racing for many years. His father, Peter, is a leading racehorse trainer, and his younger brother James was last season’s champion conditional jockey and also won the 2017 Coral Welsh Grand National on Raz De Maree. All three were honoured at last year’s Welsh Horse Racing Awards. Sean’s mother, Karen, was a very accomplished point to point rider and his eldest brother Micky successfully trains point to point horses.

Sean started his race riding career in pony racing and at the age of 16 progressed through the point to point circuit before turning conditional for ten times champion trainer Paul Nicholls in the summer of 2014. He went onto be the youngest ever champion conditional jockey when he won the title on the final day of his first season as a professional in 2015. He is currently in seventh place in the Stobart Jump Jockeys Championship for the 2018/19 season and has ridden over 350 winners since taking out his professional licence. Two of Sean’s biggest wins have come in the Bet 365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park, on Just A Par in 2015 trained by Paul Nicholls (on the day he was crowned champion conditional) and then winning it again in 2017 on Henllan Harri, trained by his father. Success also came last year when winning the Summer Plate at Market Rasen in July aboard More Bucks, again trained by his father and part-owned by brother Micky. Most recently, Sean won the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) at Haydock on Lisnagar Oscar for Rebecca Curtis, on the same day he won the William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (Grade 3) on Robinsfirth for trainer Colin Tizzard.

As part of his new role, Sean will be writing a weekly blog for the racecourse website and on Ffos Las race days, he will be talking through his rides in the restaurant and hospitality boxes.

There will also be an opportunity for customers to walk the course with him to find out what goes through a jockey’s mind during a race.

Phil Bell, Executive Director of Ffos Las Racecourse, said: “Sean is very much a local boy made good and we are delighted he’s agreed to be our ambassador. He’s already a very successful jockey and has a huge future ahead of him.
“I’m sure our customers will enjoy being able to follow his career more closely and hear from him regularly whether in person or via his weekly blog.”

Sean said: “Ffos Las is a great racecourse and I really enjoy riding there. I am delighted to be part of the team in 2019.
“I hope that my involvement with the racecourse will encourage more people to come and experience what an enjoyable day’s racing can be experienced at Ffos Las.”
All details of Sean’s role will appear on the news pages of www.ffoslasracecourse.com as well as Facebook and Twitter.
The Herald is an Official Raceday Sponsor of the Food and Drink Festival at Ffos Las Racecourse on April 7.

Sport

Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A TALENTED young athlete from Letterston has been honoured at the British Shooting Awards 2024.

Seren Thorne was shortlisted for the prestigious awards and attended the gala event held at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. To the delight of her family and supporters, Seren was named the winner of the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award.

This accolade highlights Seren’s exceptional skill and dedication to the sport, marking her as one of the rising stars in British shooting.

Her mother, Sian Thorne, expressed immense pride in Seren’s achievement, sharing photos of the memorable evening.

The British Shooting Awards 2024 celebrated excellence in the sport, with a full list of winners available on their official website.

PHOTO CAPTION: Champion marksman: Seren Thorne receiving the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.