GRAND MILITARY CUP

“The Grand Military race meeting is held at Sandown Park in mid-March every year and there are two races for serving or ex-serving amateur jockeys and one race, the Grand Military Gold Cup, which is restricted to currently serving amateur jockeys. In recent years these races have been almost entirely Army affairs (apart from an enthusiast naval padre!) and it is ten years since there was an RAF jockey competing. Ownership of the horses in these races is also limited to serving or ex-serving members but there is less of a problem here and riders do not necessarily have to provide their own mounts. Race riding is an exhilarating but demanding discipline and riders must successfully complete a two-day course at the British Horse Racing School at either Newmarket or Doncaster and obtain a British Horse Racing Authority permit to ride. Riding weights are in range of 10St 7lb to 12 St 3lb and the races are both rank and gender blind. In addition to the Grand Military meeting at Sandown Park there is also a United Services point-to-point race meeting at Larkhill, on Salisbury Plain, in January, again with certain races for serving personnel. Anyone who is interested in getting involved in race riding should contact the RAF member of the Grand Military Race Committee, Gp Capt (Retd) Chris Lampard at Handling Squadron, Boscombe Down, for further information or advice on getting an amateur jockey’s permit (RAFMail: ACAS-HanSqn-HS3, e-mail: acas-hansqn-HS3@hansqn.mod.uk, GPTN: 9214807 3656, BT: 01980 663656).”