Stories From The Saddle: Tanisha Little

Tanisha and Walking It Off win at Trebudannon (Sophie Davis)

23-year-old Tanisha Little, from Exford in Devon, rode her first winner on Walking It Off at

Trebudannon on Easter Monday… at her 60 th attempt and in her sixth season riding. Jake

Exelby spoke to Tanisha after that well-deserved victory to find out how it made her feel, and

whether she ever thought that success would prove elusive.

Talk me through your time in racing so far and how you got into point-to-pointing in

the first place?

I live on the family farm on Exmoor, and we’ve always had horses in the family. My Mum,

Lizzie, evented and did dressage and my Dad – Merv Woodward (a stalwart of the Devon &

Cornwall pointing scene) – was a point-to-point jockey. In his final season (after a 20-year

career that produced more than 50 winners), I was second in our Members race and he was

third, and I joke that he only retired because I beat him!

I started eventing and showing as a teenager and always knew I wanted to give pointing a

go. I got my first racehorse – Getaway Driver – when I was 18 and trained and did

everything with him myself as a hobby. I only had two rides on him in my first season

because of Covid and lockdown, then we came fourth next year before he broke a leg at

Bratton Down. It was a nightmare, but I had a ride on a friend’s horse the following week and

that got me back into it.

How has your race-riding and training career progressed?

It was hard to find rides at first, but I got Peloric from Jeremy Scott, for whom I used to work.

We were placed a couple of times, and I still have him at home. Last season, I got Kimarelli

from John Heard and Doctor Doyen, who I bought from ThoroughBid. I obviously hadn’t

seen him before he came here, and he was big, weak, gangly and green last year. He’s

come back a lot better this season and has been consistent, being placed four times. He’s

peculiar – he likes to front run but doesn’t see out a race!

Now, I’d love to train a winner. When I was at Jeremy’s, I could use his facilities, but Doctor

Doyen is based at co-owner Jason Toogood’s farm. He loves going out on the moor – he

gets miserable on the gallops!

You’ve been riding for a lot of different trainers this season. How do you make your

connections, and with Janet Ackner – who trains Walking It Off – in particular?

I worked for Jeremy from 2019 until March but made a decision at the start of the pointing

season to go freelance, so I could ride out for people in the afternoons and build a rapport

with them. I do grooming in the mornings, work for local dressage rider Keith Miller, go to

Joe Tickle and Danielle Kenealy’s two or three times a week and to Janet’s twice a week. I

also used to ride Flaming Henry every day for Martin Cook.

Janet gave me my first job, at weekends and in school holidays, when I was 13 – she was

the first person to plonk me on a racehorse! So, I’ve always had a connection with Janet –

she gave me Getaway Driver – and have put a lot of work in with her.

I didn’t have many riders for Janet in previous years because I was a novice but Walking It

Off is a bit feral (!) and boys don’t seem to get on with her as well. And because I’ve become

more experienced and a better rider, Janet’s been more willing to give me a chance this

season.

How did you feel when you won on Easter Monday?

I went into the race thinking she had a good chance. She’d been knocking on the door at

Trebudannon the time before but hadn’t jumped as well as usual. Last week, she was so

game. She hit the front earlier than I wanted but still had plenty in the tank.

How was I feeling? Desperate to get to the line! It was amazing, relief more than anything.

Did you ever think that you might never ride a winner?

Yes, a lot! I’ve always enjoyed it and have had some nice horses, so it’s been frustrating.

I’ve had a few close seconds, so I thought it would happen, but I often asked myself whether

it would. (Because I’ve made more connections and am riding more horses), this was the

first season I was confident I’d have a winner.

What are your ambitions in pointing and racing? Are you going to retire now you’ve

had a winner?!

No, I’ll definitely keep going – although probably not as long as Dad did. He always said that

the older you get, the more it hurts! I’d now like to get more wins under my belt and have

more nice horses to ride.

It’s my aspiration to win the Exmoor Members race, in which I’ve been second twice. I’ve got

Doctor Doyen for it this year, but – as I said – he’s tricky.

Which has been your favourite horse?

That’s a hard question. I adored Getaway Driver, but it’s probably Peloric. I used to ride him

every day at Jeremy’s and he’s naughty, a real character who had so much ability but not

everyone got on with him. I hunt him now and plan to event him too.

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

Les Jefford’s Walkin Out – another mare, like Walking It Off, by Walk In The Park.

Also, Dr Rhythm, an absolute legend.

Which other jockeys do you admire?

I’d like to be as good as Jo Supple – it would be great to get to her level.

What's your favourite course?

Bratton Down is my absolute favourite. I love riding and jumping the fences and there’s a

special atmosphere. It always seems summery and looks well loved, and there’s lots of local

support.

What do you enjoy most about pointing?

It’s a fun day out. Everyone knows everyone else and supports each other, even on horrible

wet days. When your horse runs well, it’s even more special.

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

I’d take it back to its roots and make it a proper old-fashioned sport, where horses running in

point-to-points have to hunt.