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Kiplingcotes Derby: Novice jockey takes on oldest horse race for charity

Leanne Brown/BBC Carole Johnston with LornaLeanne Brown/BBC
Carole Johnston, who has never raced before, is set to take part in England's oldest horse race

A novice jockey is taking part in England's oldest horse race to raise money and awareness of breast cancer.

The Kiplingcotes Derby, near Market Weighton in East Yorkshire, has been held since 1519 and traditionally takes place on the third Thursday of March.

The cross country course includes farm lanes, tracks and public roads in the Yorkshire Wolds.

Carole Johnston is taking on the challenge in memory of her friend Kate Jeffery, who died last year.

Ms Johnston said: "Kate loved horses, like me, from being a child, but I have only ridden at home.

"This is a big ask for me to do a race and it will be quite scary - there will be people there who are jockeys."

Family photo Kate Jeffery riding LornaFamily photo
She is taking on the challenge in memory of her friend Kate Jeffery (pictured riding Lorna)

'Heart of a lion'

Ms Johnston will be riding her friend's horse Lorna.

She said: "I'm very protective of Lorna. It's all about getting Lorna safely there because there's big ruts in some of the course and it's very wet.

"We will be going with speed but we will be going very carefully."

Riders on horses trotting along a countryside farm track
The four-mile flat race traditionally takes place on the third Thursday of March

Ms Jeffery's husband Chris said: "To compete in [the race] is quite an amazing thing, and I'm so proud of Carol to even attempt it.

"She's not probably as strong a horse rider maybe as Kate used to be, but she's got the heart of a lion.

"She's so passionate about helping raise money and raise awareness of breast cancer and riding Lorna in this race is just truly amazing."

Leanne Brown/BBC Chris Jeffery, Lorna the horse and Carole JohnstonLeanne Brown/BBC
Mr Jeffery praised Ms Johnston for her fundraising efforts and raising awareness of breast cancer

Mr Jeffery said his wife "loved everything about horses" and was "a wonderful horsewoman".

"Kate will be up there looking down on us, I know she will, and it's her legacy. Lorna is her legacy and along with Carol, it gives us a wonderful opportunity."

As well as raising awareness, Ms Johnston is raising money for St Leonard's Hospice in York.

Mr Jeffery added: "Towards the end of Kate's life, I really don't know how I would have coped without them. They were just amazing."

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A brief history of the Kiplingcotes Derby

Spectators gathering on a countryside field
Spectators came from all over the globe to celebrate the race's 500th anniversary in 2019
  • A set of race rules discovered in a bank vault gave the start year as 1519, when King Henry VIII was on the throne
  • One of the rules states the race must be run every year and if it does not, then it must never be run again
  • On the rare occasions when it has not been possible to hold the event, as was the case during lockdown, a volunteer had to walk a horse along the route in order to comply with the ancient tradition
  • In 2019, the event attracted spectators from around the world as it celebrated its 500th anniversary
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