A TALENTED Denbighshire jockey is making her mark in the world of horse racing.
Heidi Palin, 19, from Llandyrnog, has already saddled two winners - and it's certain that she will never forget her first victory!
Aboard Bennys King at Hereford, Heidi looked like she was about to head out of the saddle during the race.
Amazingly, she recovered her stirrup to win on the 20-1 shot.
"He was going alright and pecked on landing and I nearly came off him," said Heidi.
"To be honest, the last four times he had run he pulled up."
In the hunter chase, Heidi's right leg came out of the stirrup and this left her with both legs on one side of the horse.
Determined Heidi then managed to get her leg back over the saddle and to add to this, she then won aboard the Dan Skelton-trained horse.
Heidi told the Mirror website: “I thought I was coming off to be honest.
"After that he travelled through the race nicely.
"I kept him going, started niggling him on the second circuit and he galloped on well.
“I knew he would keep going. Harry (Skelton) told me to keep getting after him and he would keep going and he did.”
Proving that this win was no fluke, Heidi then triumphed a few days later in a race at Wetherby.
This is shining a light on the career path the amateur jockey wants to take and she has always been interested in horses.
"Well, I started riding when I was younger," she added.
"Mum and dad have always had horses since I have been tiny."
She joined the Denbigh and Flint Pony Club when she was younger and then tried her hand at show-jumping.
After she finished school at the age of 16, Heidi then went to the British Racing School in Newmarket, where she completed a nine-week course.
From there, she went to ply her trade at Dan Skelton's yard in Warwick.
After Heidi's first triumph, Mr Skelton told the Mirror website: “Heidi is a very dedicated girl.
"She tries very hard at home. She does a lot of work in the gym and no doubt that contributed to her staying on.
“She’s a really good girl from a showjumping and hunting background.
"Hopefully she will keep getting better and we’ll keep giving her opportunities.”
This is certainly music to Heidi's ears as her target is to hopefully be a professional jockey in the future.
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