AN ambitious equine student has teamed up with a renowned Cumbrian horse trainer and now hopes to make a name for herself in the male-dominated sport.

Charlotte Jones, 21, has joined the team at James Moffatt Racing Stables at Cartmel having graduated with first class honours in equine science at Myerscough College.

Ms Jones, from Barrow-in-Furness, has already taken to the saddle to achieve her goal of becoming a competitive rider with two races already under her belt, including guiding Smart Ruler to a mid-place finish at a meeting at Carlisle Racecourse earlier this year.

Ms Jones, who has been riding since the age of six, now has a full-time position at the stables having worked part time during her studies. Among her duties including caring for seven racehorses.

In a heavily male dominated industry, where female jockeys account for just a fraction of rides, Charlotte says she thinks women can compete on equal terms with men in the saddle. She said: "The sport is very competitive with so many young people being born into it which has a huge advantage.

"Some of these riders are jockeys from the age of 16 so I probably have a slight disadvantage but I’m not going to let that stop me. Even though the sport is predominately male I’m going to strive to show that women can be just as good too. It’s a bit intimidating being male dominated but the majority are very professional about their job and are there to ride, as is everyone.

“I like to take one step at a time so although I would of course love to be the first woman to win the Grand National. My short term goal is to gain some more experience to be able to ride a winner, then further down the line becoming the leading female jockey in the north and be within the top 20 jockeys in the country in a few seasons time.

“I would like to keep improving my riding and ability to work with horses to get the best out of them too.”

A spokesperson for James Moffatt Racing said: “Charlotte is an excellent rider. She is always full of new ideas and is dedicated and hard working. She is a great addition to the team.”