Sport
Pembrokeshire’s Sean Bowen bet on the right sport with horse racing
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.
Crymych 28 – Tata Steel 36
CRYMYCH gave league leaders Tata Steel a real scare in a thrilling Championship contest that showcased the hosts’ fighting spirit — even if they left empty-handed.
The Preseli side started strongly, with centre Ifan Phillips bursting through for a well-worked try, converted by Elis Thomas.
But Tata responded with power and precision, their dominant forwards laying the platform for four unanswered tries before the break. The visitors went in at half-time 26-7 up, with a bonus point secured.
To their credit, Crymych came out firing. Winger Rhodri George finished a sweeping move soon after the restart, and Thomas added the extras to narrow the gap.
Tata remained clinical, stretching their lead with a further 10 points. Yet Crymych refused to lie down — Phillips grabbed his second of the afternoon before No. 8 Osian Davies rounded off a powerful surge, aided by Tom Taylor and Jon Hill. Thomas converted both to bring the score to 36-28.
With just minutes remaining, Crymych pushed for a losing bonus point — but a late Tata try denied them that small reward.
Still, the performance offered real positives, and Crymych now have time to regroup before the final stretch of the season. Replicate this level of intensity, and survival remains firmly within reach.
Crymych squad:
Adam Phillips; Rhodri George, Tomos Lewis, Ifan Phillips, Hedd George; Elis Thomas, Dafydd Phillips; Gruff Williams, Lee Griffiths, Ben Cox; Matthew Freebury, Llyr Davies; Tom Taylor, Jon Hill, Osian Davies.
Replacements: Lloyd Davies, Rhys Davies, Sion Wilson, Ianto Davies, Jac Griffiths.
Narberth 29 – Cross Keys 17
NARBERTH kept their Premiership survival hopes alive with a crucial 29-17 victory over Cross Keys at the Lewis Lloyd Ground — producing one of their most composed performances of the season when it mattered most.
Having lost the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, Narberth knew only a win would do — and they delivered under pressure.
From the outset, the home side played with intensity, meeting their larger opponents head-on. A surging break from Dean James set the tone, and relentless forward pressure was rewarded when Sam Martin crashed over for the opening try.
Cross Keys hit back quickly through a textbook drive, with No. 8 Cory Nicholls dotting down. But Narberth responded in style — a searing counterattack saw Hedd Nicholas break through midfield and feed scrum-half Lewys Gibby, who raced clear to score. Jon Rogers converted to restore the lead.
The visitors weren’t done, however, and levelled the match after a well-executed lineout allowed second row John Verrier to power over, with Ben Murphy adding the extras.
Crucially, Narberth regained the advantage just before the break. Centre Llew Jones — later named Man of the Match — found space out wide and sliced through the defence to make it 17-12 at half-time.
The second half belonged to the Bluebirds. With their pack dominant and backs full of intent, Will Blackburn secured the bonus-point try before Hedd Nicholas crossed for another. Rogers was again on target with the boot.
Cross Keys had the final say with a late score from replacement Tom Burnham, but the result was beyond doubt.
Narberth now face one final hurdle — a must-win home tie against already-relegated Newcastle Emlyn. Victory there, and a favourable result elsewhere, could yet complete a remarkable escape.
Narberth squad:
Ashley Sutton; Rhys Harris, Llew Jones, Hedd Nicholas, Dean James; Jon Rogers, Lewys Gibby; Rob Evans, Kyle Hamer, Tom Kaijaks; Will Blackburn, Sam Martin; Caleb Salmon, Tom Powell (C), Roy Osborn.
Replacements: Ricky Guest, Ryan Rees, George Rossiter, Rhys Williams, Josh Hamer, Alex Williams, Osian Evans, Harrison Griffiths.
West Wales Intermediate Cup – Semi-Final: Hakin United 1–0
A THUNDEROUS strike deep into stoppage time from Leon Luby sent Hakin United back to the West Wales Cup final — and back to the Swansea.com Stadium — just two years after their last appearance.
The semi-final at Stebonheath Park had been a cagey, hard-fought affair, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock. But with the game heading for penalties, substitute Luby produced a moment of magic to settle it.
Collecting a pass from Liam Parks on the left flank, Luby beat his marker, cut inside and unleashed a curling right-footed effort that soared past Jack Williams and into the far corner. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the Hakin players and fans alike.
The dramatic win sets up an all-Pembrokeshire final — the first since 2019 — with Monkton Swifts or Tenby United waiting in the wings.
Cagey contest, flashes of brilliance
The match was high on tension but low on clear-cut chances, especially early on. Hakin, fresh from lifting the Senior Cup, nearly struck within 90 seconds as Parks capitalised on a defensive lapse, only to see his shot well saved by Williams.
St Joseph’s danger man, Kyle Copp — who has racked up 40 league goals this season — almost broke the deadlock with a spectacular 30-yard lob that forced Gareth Fawcett to tip over. Copp then turned provider, threading a perfect ball through to Rikki Hayden, but again Fawcett was alert and made the block.
Ryan Wilson had two golden chances for Hakin, the best coming just before half-time, but Williams stood firm to deny him on both occasions.
Tactical tweaks, late drama
Copp continued to be a menace after the break, weaving past defenders and narrowly missing the target. But it was Hakin boss Scott Davies who changed the course of the game with a trio of substitutions. Camron Thomas, Ashley Bevan and, crucially, Luby added energy and purpose to the Vikings’ attack.
Bevan thought he’d given Hakin the lead with a header from Thomas’ pinpoint delivery — only for the linesman’s flag to deny him. Parks then saw another effort spectacularly saved by Williams as the match swung from end to end.
St Joseph’s had a goal ruled out for offside and Bevan missed a one-on-one chance in the dying minutes. It looked like extra-time was inevitable.
But in the 93rd minute, Luby had other ideas.
Resolute to the end
Even after the goal, Hakin had to dig deep. A late St Joseph’s corner caused chaos in the box, but Jake Merry threw his body on the line to make a crucial block and preserve the clean sheet.
Now, Hakin United are just one win away from glory — and from ending a 20-year wait since their last West Wales Cup triumph in 2004.
Hakin United:
Fawcett, Merry, Power, Aldred, King (Thomas 51), Nicholson (Jones 72), Wilson (Bevan 56), Britton, Parks, Kilby, Walsh (Luby 61).
Unused: Devonald.
St Joseph’s:
Williams, Lloyd-Evans, J. Evans (Morgan 94), R. Jones, Symmons (Price 94), Frost (Pelosi 63), Brown (A. Jones 77), Kerr, Owen, Hayden (Griffiths 79), Copp.
Officials:
Referee – Ben Williams
Assistants – Martin Oliver & Adam Bray
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