Stories From The Saddle: Ed Vaughan

Ed with Mum Abbi and Dad, Tim- leading National Hunt trainer - Tim (Carl Evans)

He may only be about to embark on his third campaign, but 18-year-old Ed Vaughan has already established himself among the leading riders between the flags, with 16 winners last season following a record-breaking 31 in his first year, as well as seven to date under rules.

With the return of racing to the popular course at Lower Machen – near Newport – kicking off the 2025-2026 point-to-point season, Jake Exelby caught-up with the leading Welsh-based jockey to find out about his ambitions for this year and beyond, and his views on the state of the sport in the principality.

You finished your A-Levels in the summer. What are you doing now?

I’m taking a gap year and working full-time for Dad. I haven’t decided whether to go to university and keep riding at the same time.

Do you have a rivalry with your Dad, e.g. to beat his own career total?

When I was first getting going, I kept my head down, but I’ve started taking the mickey out of Dad’s style, particularly when I rode against him in the Newmarket Town Plate.

Four of your family rode in the Newmarket Town plate this summer. What was the finishing order? Why didn’t your brother Henry? Does your sister Grace plan to follow you into the saddle?

I think Grace was second, Mum – who’s also ridden in a charity flat race – third, Dad fourth and me fifth. Dad only beat me because his horse was rated about 40lbs higher than mine! Henry doesn’t ride – he’s into motorbikes – and Grace has done some pony racing. She enjoys it but hasn’t got the bug like me.

You had a stellar pony racing career. Tell me about a particular highlight.

Winning the Dingle Derby (Ireland’s most prestigious pony race) aged 11. (Bloodstock agent) Tom Malone, who’s a good friend, always has a horse for the race and told me a year earlier that I’d win it, but I never thought that was realistic. It was one of my best days ever. I was riding against the likes of Dylan Browne McGonagle, who’s just become Champion Flat Jockey in Ireland and (leading Irish jumps jockey) Sam Ewing.

You had a record-breaking first season as a jockey, riding more winners than any novice jockey had done. How did last year go in comparison?

Last season was tricky because I knew I wouldn’t ride any winners, so to get 16 was a fair effort, particularly as Dad didn’t have as many horses. I think I can still improve on those numbers.

Ed breaking the Novice Riders record with win 31 at Umberleigh (Tim Holt)

 What has been your career highlight?

My five-timer at Ystradowen in my first season. I don’t know how I did it – one winner would have been enough, but five was unbelievable.

Ed completes a five-timer at Ystradowen (Alun Sedgmore)

Which has been your favourite horse?

Last season, it was Eva’s Oskar. I only rode him four times, but he was great round Aintree (where the pair were sixth in the Foxhunters).

And in my first year, Poli Roi. We won four races together and he taught me so much. You could ride him from the front, the back, the middle…

Ed winning on Poli Roi at Ampton (Neale Blackburn)

Which horse (not one of your own mounts) would you most like to ride?

Gracchus De Balme, trained by Joe O’Shea. When he won at Aintree, he just popped away in front and jumped like a stag.

Which other jockeys do you admire?

Of the younger ones, I’m a massive fan of Rian Corcoran, who’s turned professional now. Jack Stenhouse has gone to work for Philip Hobbs and Johnson White. I’ve only watched him a few times, but he looks a natural. And Clara Brewitt looked good when she was riding last year.

Rian Corcoran - Ed's a massive fan (Tim Holt)

Going for experience, Dale Peters is a brilliant jockey and knows so much. I always keep my ears open around him! Gina Andrews is fantastic year in, year out – she’s relentless.

Dale Peters (right) - knows so much (Carl Evans)

Unlike many of your peers, you haven’t turned professional. What are the reasons and do you have any plans to do so?

I’m too tall and heavy to turn professional, or even ride for a long time. I did think about it over the summer, but I’m under no illusions that I could make it, as it’s a hard old game.

As well as your Dad, who will you mostly be riding for this season?

My main contact will be Bradley Gibbs. He doesn’t ride as much as he used to, as he’s not getting any lighter! I’ve been going there (Gibbs is based at Lemsford in Hertfordshire) more than ever recently. Brad knows how to get a horse ready, and he’s got some nice ones, including a few youngsters.

Bradley Gibbs (right) will provide most of Ed's ammunition this season (Caroline Exelby)

I also hope to have rides for Luke Price, another fantastic trainer who knows how to place his horses, and have been riding out at Chris Barber’s.

Ed winning in Luke Price's colours (Tim Holt)

What are your ambitions in pointing and racing? Is being champion P2P jockey a realistic target?

I want to keep riding winners, take it season by season and keep an open mind. It’s always been about the riding for me – I haven’t thought about training.

As for being champion, sitting here now after last season, probably not as I can’t see how I would have enough ammunition. Brad’s one of the best trainers in Britain, but Josh Newman has so many horses and James King rides for so many people.

Lower Machen returns this season for the first time since 2019. Obviously you haven’t ridden there over fences, but do you have any memories of it?

I actually rode ponies there, so know the course pretty well. I think the configuration is similar (to before it closed) but less undulating. It will probably be more stamina-sapping – especially if the ground’s soft – with a gradual climb from the bottom of the home straight.

What are your riding plans for Sunday?

I’ve got two rides for Dad, and hopefully one or two spares – it’s a local track for me and I want to give the Welsh Riders Championship a real go this season. We run Spirit of Legend in the Open. We got him from Henry de Bromhead and he’s got some lovely form. If all goes well, we may look at Cheltenham or Aintree further down the line.

What are your views on the state of Welsh pointing, with so few fixtures compared to the past?

It’s already doing better this season with the return of Lower Machen, thanks to Dai Walters. But there are hardly any trainers in Wales – even Brad’s moved away! The cost of qualifying and training a horse is mental and doing so with just one or two horses as a hobby isn’t viable.

It’s good to have one of the Young Horse Maiden bonus races in Wales as hopefully people will target it and come across the bridge.

What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?

I try not to have too much of an opinion, but I wonder if you could put together a ‘grounds’ team with a single set of fences and take them round to different meetings to reduce the amount of work involved.

As for the social media and videos, it’s definitely not a negative, and could be a positive. I don’t know how much impact it will have (on horse numbers) but we’ll find out more this season.

What are your non-horsey hobbies?

Horses take up a lot of your time, but I used to play rugby, as a winger for my local team, Cowbridge. The state of Welsh rugby? Oh God! We didn’t have a great time last year, but it can’t go any further backwards…

Ed Vaughan is again sponsored by Dragon Studios this season.