A COUNTY eventing rider and coach is turning her hand to horse racing in order to raise money for charity.

Louise Harwood has spent her life riding horses and started eventing from her teenage years.

Having competed at international level, the Hereford rider was looking for a new challenge and couldn’t resist the temptation of taking part in a jockey race.

Whilst Louise has been riding all her life, the level of fitness and skill required to be a jockey is on the opposite end of the spectrum to what she is used to.

She is undertaking a gruelling training and fitness programme to ensure she’s ready for a charity horse race at Newbury Racecourse next week.

The British Horse Society (BHS) is set to host a charity flat race at Newbury Racecourse on Thursday (November 8).

The race will see 10 jockeys, including BBC sports reporter Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes, head to the starting line for the first time in aid of the BHS’s charity appeals.

Each jockey will be racing towards a £2,000 fundraising target in aid of the BHS and its many vital campaigns across access, safety, welfare and education.

Before race day, the jockeys will need to complete a gruelling fitness test to ensure they comply with racing fitness standards.

Director of Fundraising for The British Horse Society, Tracy Casstles said: “We are thrilled to be launching the BHS charity flat race at Newbury Racecourse.

"The training process has been testing for many of the jockeys but their determination and willpower to succeed has been extraordinary. Each jockey is raising money for a BHS campaign of their choice and every penny raised will make a great difference to the running and development of their chosen campaign."

Training is going well for Louise but she still has a way to go to reach her £2,000 charity fundraising target.

To find out more about the jockeys’ stories and to donate visit: www.justgiving.com/campaign/BHScharityrace2018.