Sean Bowen once said he never liked horses or racing. He had much more of an interest in football. With that being said, as time went by, his decision to place his bets on horse racing over football paid off. His younger brother James Bowen, a champion jockey, once said that his brother didn’t want to be led around on a horse. He wanted to roam free, so going into horse racing was the logical choice.

Sean followed his brother into horse racing

Sean followed his brother into horse racing when he found that he was stuck in the house on his own. While his brother was out riding in the mornings, he found that he had nobody to play football with, so he had no choice but to get into horses as well, even though he was allergic. The brothers soon found that, although they weren’t interested in horses initially, their decision to go all-in paid off.

They spent the summers racing each other and although this wasn’t approved of by their parents, it did help to give them a huge career, as they are now known around the world as being championship jockeys. If you happen to be a gambler, you’ll probably know about his win at Southwell. His mount, Letterston Lady, won the mares-only contest. Events like this tend to draw a lot of attention as bookmakers release free bets and promotions to draw people into the fold. There are also full websites dedicated to listing all the current promotions from different websites too, allowing people to bet on something that they might not have done otherwise.

Although Letterston Lady ended up emerging victorious, Bowen did wait until the final furlong before he asked his horse to race through the gap. By doing this, she was able to gain a total of four lengths, putting her rivals far behind. The victory was impressive, with Micky and Peter Bowen training her for the Peter Bowen Racing Cup.

Bowen’s ability to know when to push the horse and when to hold back is unlike anything else. He knows his horse and although he may be known for making risky decisions, most of the time, they work to his advantage. His knowledge of the horses he works with is also incomparable, as he invests a lot of time learning who he is riding, what their strengths are, and how he can get the best performance on different types of ground. For a man who is allergic to horses, he’s certainly passionate.

One of the best jockeys to come out of Pembrokeshire 

You’ll notice his horse running in maroon and yellow, which are associated with the family. Sean’s winner, Roll With It only won the Cartmel finale by a few strides and hit the front in the nick of time. Beating Saint Bibiana, who was trained by Georgina Nicholls, was huge for him and the horse. It also helped to cement his legacy as being one of the best jockeys to come out of Pembrokeshire. His parents, Karen and Peter Bowen are still known as being some of the best horse trainers to this day, with Sean going on to win some of the biggest races in the UK in recent years. Some examples of his achievements include him placing fourth at the National last year with Noble Yeats. He also rode 51 winners in his very first year of racing, in 2015.

His brother, James Bowen rode a total of 57 winners in his very first season, not to mention that he was also the youngest winner of the Welsh Grand National. This year, at the National, Sean rode The Goffer who is an outsider. He was trained by Gordon Elliot, who is based in Ireland. James rode his father’s horse, Mac Tottie another outsider but with a strong spirit. Although neither emerged victorious, their performance was as good as ever.

With the jockey making waves in the sporting sector and a passion for horses, it’s safe to say that Sean Bowen is one of the most notable jockeys of this era. His local ties to Pembrokeshire help to bring a lot of pride to the area as well, as he continues to blaze a path for himself within the sporting world. His passion for what he does is evident, but it was a close call. He nearly didn’t go into horse racing at all, because if he wasn’t stuck at home as the result of his brother, he might never have picked up the reins.