Becky Smith hoping to follow in sister’s footsteps at Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards

Leeds-born Smith, who is assistant to dual purpose trainer Micky Hammond in Middleham, as well as still riding as an amateur, has been nominated in the Leadership category.

Her older sister Gemma Hogg, who is also an assistant at the Hammond operation, won both the Leadership and Employee of the Years awards back in 2016 – when Smith was nominated in the Rider/Groom category.

A total of 18 people have been shortlisted in six categories including Smith and The Yorkshire Post’s Country Week columnist and Ilkley-based racehorse trainer Jo Foster, who has been nominated in the The Community Award (in recognition of the wonderful work Rory MacDonald achieved at The British Racing School) category for her work with racehorses in the community.

They all receive £250 for reaching this stage, with the winners announced today ahead of tonight’s dinner at the Knavesmire.

Smith said: “I work with my sister, who is a fellow assistant and won the awards in 2016, so I have got some big boots to fill!

“I’m looking forward to it. I didn’t know anything about it until the list came through. It is nice to be recognised but it is your job and you just want to do the best you can do.”

The sisters are the daughters of late Leeds RL ‘A’ Team coach Norman Smith, who worked with great success under both Maurice Bamford and David Ward at Headingley.

It was through a connection of their father’s that they joined a riding club owned by a supporter of the team and from there they didn’t look back. Smith, the Lady Amateur flat jockey Champion in 2018, with a record number of 11 winners, said: “I have been with Micky for 12 years and sort of worked my way up. I worked in Ireland for a while and then came back and rode out and went from there.”

Among her duties are going through the entries and declarations, watching the horses on the gallops, riding out, mucking out, managing the staff and looking after new staff and apprentices and making them feel welcome.

She said: “We are busy 365 days of the year. I love it. Micky is a great boss and that makes the job easier, really it is like being paid to do your hobby. I love riding horses and working with young, enthusiastic people and I love the racing industry in general.”

In other news, Noel Meade could bypass the Stayers’ Hurdle with Beacon Edge in favour of a tilt at the Coral Cup, as he ramps up plans for the Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old showed plenty of his former sparkle when third to last season’s Albert Bartlett winner Blazing Khal at Navan last week. Meade said: “He’s in the Stayers’ Hurdle, but I think, depending on what way the English handicapper handicaps him, there is quite a possibility he will run in the Coral Cup."