Starting From Scratch: Inspired to be a Jump Jockey

by Henrietta Knight

Successful jump jockeys come from a variety of backgrounds. Their childhoods and upbringings show vast differences. Some originate from families already connected to horses and racing - they were always going to be riders. Yet others have parents who have no equine connections whatsoever, which presents the question: why did these kids become jockeys?

In her latest book on racing, best-selling author and legendary trainer Henrietta Knight charts the lives of more than 80 jump jockeys in the hope of finding out what inspired them at a young age to take up one of the most dangerous jobs in sport.

Among the great and good to be profiled are household names such as Richard Dunwoody, John Francome, Sir Anthony McCoy and Ruby Walsh, and throughout Starting From Scratch we discover how a number of racing's most celebrated individuals opted to take the path they did.

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 13, 2019

Reviews

[Jane Scadding · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book disappointed me a little, after having thoroughly enjoyed Henrietta Knight's previous work, the fascinating and engrossing "The Jumping Game". This book is more superficial and sometimes even sketchy. Perhaps it would have been more interesting had the author studied fewer National Hunt jockeys, but in more depth. I was surprised how perfunctory some of the profiles were.