Stories from the Saddle: Jack Stenhouse

20-year-old Jack Stenhouse (pictured below), originally from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, but now based in Minehead, Somerset, where he rides as stable amateur for the powerful Philip Hobbs & Johnson White yard, is one of the leading novice riders in the country, both between the flags and under rules, having ridden five winners in each code this season. Last weekend, he tasted success at Ayr on Friday, Flete Park in Devon on Saturday, and Cotley at Somerset on Sunday, so Jake Exelby caught up with him afterwards to chat about his travels up and down the country… and how he juggles his pointing and rules priorities.

Talk me through your career in racing so far and how you got into point-to-pointing in the first place.

Mum always had ponies and I had my own, but wasn’t that interested – I’d rather play rugby and football. But then, aged 14, I started doing work experience for Katie Scott, who trains at Galashiels. I’d go in on Saturday and Sunday, got the bug and started enjoying it.

Katie taught me to ride then, when I was 17, she and Dad went fifty-fifty and bought Cooldine Bog from Doncaster as a schoolmaster for me.

Tell me about your first season. You had ten rides on Cooldine Bog. He must have been really tough.

He taught me a lot. He wasn’t the easiest horse to ride, but it’s better to start off on something like that and learn the hard way – a steering job isn’t the same. You appreciate it a lot more when you eventually get on a good one.

In a race, he’d run away with you for the first mile, then you’d have to push him for the second and third – he’d do different things in the same race. We hit the ground a couple of times, but you could run him all the time and he took his racing well.

After that, you moved south to work for Mike Vanstone. How did that opportunity come about?

The plan was always to move south, as there are more opportunities. I’d already met my partner - Shannon Holmes – at the British Racing School in Newmarket, and she’s from Devon. She knew Mike and his partner Linda Blackford, who has a rules licence, and told me they were looking for someone.

Linda was a very good jockey back in the day, and what she taught me was second to none. I learned to ride at Katie’s but learned to race-ride from Linda. I worked for them for two years.

You had your first win on Teescomponentsfly at Larkhill. What do you remember about that day?

Teescomponentsfly at Larkhill - Jack's first winner (Tim Holt)

I needed a horse to get me going, so Mike and Linda bought Teescomponentsfly and Dad took a leg. He was a nice horse and, though he hadn’t won over fences, he’d won a 2m4f hurdle and was a good jumper. I schooled him round Badbury Rings on our first run together – I was inexperienced and still getting to know him – then we went to Larkhill, over 2m4f on good ground. When I watch the video back, the horse looks so good and I look so bad!

I remember winning on him at South Hill last season. I beat Shannon’s sister Mia by a head – it would have been her first winner. I wasn’t invited round for a Sunday roast for a couple of weeks after that!

Jack and Shannon discuss when he's next going to be invited round for Sunday roast

Your career really took off last season, with six wins. Why do you think that was?

I only had one winner in my first season, from nearly 40 rides, but most were not for Mike and Linda. I spent that season building connections, riding out for different people every day, and – by the year after – people had got to know me.

My first outside ride had been for Janet Ackner on Assassins Lullaby at Wadebridge in December 2023, and he gave me my first outside winner, when we got up on the line at Badbury Rings in November 2024. He was also my first ride at Cheltenham on Hunter Chase Evening last season and he’s still going – I rode him in the four-miler at Flete Park on Saturday. He’d probably me the horse I’ve ridden most – it feels like it anyway! (Jack’s quite right – he’s partnered the horse 15 times).

Jack and Assassins Lullaby

Your 12 pointing winners have come for nine different trainers. Which other connections did you develop when you moved South?

Josh Newman has always been good to me and helped me. I’ve won a couple on Honestlyntrufully for him.

And people said I should get in with Teresa Clark, so I started riding out for her when I moved down. I didn’t have any luck for her in my first two seasons – it just didn’t happen for whatever reason – and even though I gave her Caracara a terrible ride at Wadebridge, she said I could ride all of hers this season.

This season, you started working for Philip Hobbs & Johnson White. How did you get that role?

Things were coming to a natural end at Mike and Linda’s – they said it was time to move to a bigger yard – and Sean Houlihan (who won the Scottish Grand National on Saturday on Kap Vert for Hobbs & White) rides the majority of Linda’s. I want to become a professional jockey, so wanted to go to a top yard, and Sean got me an interview with Johnson. I interviewed in April, and started in July, and Philip and Johnson have been so good to me.

Jack takes instruction from the legendary Philip Hobbs

How has your season gone? You’ve had more rides, and as many winners under rules than in points.

I had my first ride in October – Call Me Legend at Fontwell Park – and things have progressed from there.

To have the number of rides I’ve had, and riding the calibre of horses I have, winning on Kilwaughter at Newbury, and the Pertemps Qualifier at Uttoxeter on Keable, is unbelievable.

Jack with Kilwaughter and his owners after winning at Newbury

How did you manage the journey between your winners at courses nearly 500 miles apart on Friday and Saturday?

It was a long couple of days, although having family in the Scottish Borders makes life easier. I flew from Bristol to Edinburgh at 6.00am on Friday, spent a couple of hours with my parents, then went to Ayr. Luckily enough, the horse (the Seamus Mullins-trained Balboa) won.

Everything had gone so well, then the flight was delayed and I didn’t get back to Minehead until 2.30am.

Absolut Grey, Jack's winner at Flete Park on Saturday (Tim Holt)

Would you have liked to have ridden more winners between the flags? Or does the rules racing come first?

If you’d said to me at the start of the season that I’d have had more rides, and five winners, on the track, I wouldn’t have believed you. I’d set my sights on the point-to-point novice riders title, but things took off on the track, so I couldn’t ride in points some weekends. I want to be professional, so it makes sense to ride under rules when I can.

You plan to turn conditional next season. What are your ambitions in racing for next year and beyond?

The same as everyone, really. To ride for good trainers, ride as many winners as possible, and ride out my claim. I want to become a good, solid jockey who people want to turn to. Like everyone, I want to ride winners on a Saturday.

Which has been your favourite horse?

Jack wins on Ninth Wave at Cotley on Sunday (Tim Holt)

In points, Ninth Wave for Teresa Clark. He’s a serious horse. We were third at Badbury Rings and have won twice at Cotley. The quicker the ground, the better he is – he’s amazing. When he won on Sunday, that was the best he’d ever felt, even at 12. Also, Teescomponentsfly, as my first winner.

A happy Jack and Teresa after Ninth Wave wins at Cotley

Under rules, Call Me Legend, who was my first ride for the guvnors. The owners, the House family, have supported me for a long time – they also own Caracara – and they’re very loyal, even when things don’t go right. He’s a handy little horse and winning on him at Wincanton – my second win on the track – meant so much. Mr House wasn’t there that day, which is why winning at Newbury on Kilwaughter when he was present, was important.

Jack (left) winning on Call Me Legend at Wincanton

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

Grace A Vous Enki would be the easy answer, but also the boring one, so I’ll say Josh Newman’s Al Gasparo. He’s a very nice horse, and Josh rides him with so much confidence.

Al Gasparo (left) and Josh Newman - Jack admires both jockey and horse (Sophie Davies)

Which other jockeys do you admire, under rules and in points?

On the track, Sean Houlihan has done a lot for my career. We speak every day and go through my rides together. Micheal Nolan has also helped me a lot, Callum Pritchard is a good friend, and Ben Jones is different gravy.

In points, Josh Newman. As I said, he’s helped me a lot, I think he’s the best jockey riding and doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is. We give each other a lot of abuse!

What's your favourite point-to-point course?

This is a bit of a weird one, as I never rode a winner there, and am not going to now, but I always loved going to Wadebridge. It’s always freezing there, and p*sses down with rain but, though it’s a difficult course, you can make ground everywhere if you ride it properly.

Wadebridge - difficult course, but Jack's favourite (Tim Holt)

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

There’s a lot that can be done, but no simple answers. Everyone says pointing has to be more affordable and accessible, yet we’re also trying to make it more commercial, which is kicking out the traditional pointing people, like farmers with one horse. Neither way is right or wrong.

I like what the sport is doing to help young jockeys, because pointing’s about learning your trade and progressing. Will Ramsay’s Jockey Start initiative is great – absolutely brilliant for the sport. I rode against Will and he’s doing it in the North, so can they do more with that in different areas, like the South and the Midlands? They say pointing’s nothing without the horses… but it’s nothing without jockeys either.

Do you have a sponsor? Who?

It’s Lalors Waterproof Riding Trousers, the brand created by (PPORA Communications Manager) Steph Jones. Steph messaged me before the start of the season to offer me the sponsorship, and it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

What would you be doing if you weren’t involved with horses?

I dread to think!