'Big Yorkshire successes' - Awards night sees Yorkshire's top jockey and trainers recognised
Leading figures from the horseracing industry have heralded Yorkshire’s top achieving jockeys and trainers in 2025. Stuart Minting reports.
An annual celebration of Yorkshire’s racing industry has heard the sector is in rude health, boasting a significant number of the country’s top trainers and jockeys.
Opening the Go Racing in Yorkshire 2025 Awards, its chairman Ben Warn said there was “a lot to be very optimistic about for the future”.
He said: “We’ve had an amazing year. We’ve got six Yorkshire trainers in the top 20 in the country, seven jockeys in the top 20, five Group One winners in the year.
"The courses are buzzing as usual and people are just having fun.
"There have been big Yorkshire successes across the country and even across the world with winners in Ireland, France, Germany and even Bahrain.”
With 78 wins at Yorkshire courses, Tim Easterby won the leading Flat trainer title, overcoming competition from Middleham-based Karl Burke who came second with 42 wins and Upper Helmsley trainer David O'Meara, with 38 wins.
Newmarked-based William Haggas, came fourth, while Sheriff Hutton trainer Ruth Carr and Middleham trainer Charlie Johnston came joint fifth with 28 wins apiece.
Accepting the winner’s trophy, Tim said his speedy juvenile Revival Power, who won a Listed race at the Ebor meeeting before becoming an all-the-way victor in the Flying Childers at Doncaster, was among his highlights of the season.
He said: “She looks great, she’s grown, she’s in great form.”
The Great Habton-based trainer revealed he was working towards running Revival Power, a full-sister to Winter Power, with whom he won the Nunthorpe Stakes as a three-year-old, in the Group One race in August.
Compering the event, TV presenter Adele Mulrennan said the host of fresh names featured in the race to be leading Flat jockey showed just how competitive the sport is in Yorkshire as well as the opportunities being given to new members of the weighing room.
She said jockeys achieving personal bests for Yorkshire-based jockeys this season included David Allan, Aiden Brookes, Jade Dixon, Jonathan England, Warren Fentiman, Jason Hart, Alex Jary, Sean Curran, Clifford Lee, Joanna Mason, Oisin McSweeney, Ethan Tindall and the Go Racing In Yorkshire sponsored apprentice William Pyle.
The title went to Jason Hart, who finished the season with 49 Yorkshire winners.
The 2024-25 Jump season titles went to trainer Donald McCain for the second year running and jockey Brian Hughes, who is based in Carlton-in-Cleveland North Yorkshire.
Collecting the award on the Northern Irishman’s behalf, Claire Sutcliffe said while her three times British jump racing Champion Jockey son-in-law was a devoted family man he was particularly driven.
She said: “You could say it was a bit of an issue! He works hard. He left home at 4.30 this morning after feeding our yard and went to Donald’s to ride out, Haydock, back tonight.
"He’s 40 now, he’s slowing down a little bit – when he was chasing the titles it was a lot harder, there was a lot more pressure on.
"There are a lot of trainers here he has ridden for and he did want me to thank them for their support over a lot of years, and the owners. Yorkshire is his base and he’s very proud to come from here.”
Former apprentice jockey Adele told the ceremony that with 11 races and 51 jockeys taking part Go Racing In Yorkshire’s Future Stars Apprentice Series was a great way to both showcase and support the emerging talent and less experienced riders.
She said: “It’s great to see previous winners Oisin McSweeney and William Pyle have both had personal best seasons this year and Callum Rodriguez, 2017’s champion, has recorded his 500th winner this season.”
Mason Paetel, who overcame challenges from Jake Dickson and Archie Young, to become Yorkshire champion apprentice jockey, said he had been thrilled with the outcome of his first season.
Some of the award winners were decided by public vote. Jump Ride of the Season went to Richie McLernon for his cool winning ride on Petit Tonnerre at Doncaster.
Also celebrating was Joanna Mason, who was voted for her ride on Hucklesbrook at York in June, and the training performance went to Malton-based Declan Carroll for winning the Grimcrack with Lifeplan at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
Milestone awards were given to Kevin Ryan for training over 2,000 winners and to Jason Hart for riding his 1,000th winner.