2016 was a year that brought jockey Jan Faltejsek a lifetime achievement in Czech racing, even if chance played a big role. He rode the winner of the Velka Pardubicka, jumping into the saddle vacated by Barbora Málková, who had suffered an injury and was unable to ride Charme Look. This was his fourth winning ride in the last five editions of the most famous race in the Czech Republic. He tasted his first three wins, all on Orphée des Blins, at a time when he was trying to make his mark with top French jumps trainer Guillaume Macaire.

Now he is attempting for a second time to break through in the UK, where he works for trainer George Charlton in Northumberland. At the end of December 2016, when this article first appeared in the Czech language pages of Dostihový svět, he was still waiting for his first winner in the current National Hunt season in the British Isles. [On January 16^th, Jan rode his only winner so far this season in the UK, Fairlee Grey, in a novice hurdle race at Ayr.]

How did Jan Faltejsek feel at the end of 2016, a year that brought him a successful return, in the Czech Republic, following a badly broken leg that had kept him out of the saddle for most of the summer? 

“It’s OK. We’re battling away in England, but what we really need is a bit of luck and a few good results,” Faltejsek says. “I believe that our work will pay off, and some good results will come along,” he adds. However, as he points out, “It’s really difficult to make a breakthrough here in the UK, even harder than it was as few years ago, when I first came to work here.”

When he was working in France for Guillaume Macaire, there was a period in midwinter when there were no races at the courses that the trainer favoured, and the riders spent the time working with new young horses and not riding in races. Faltejsek was glad that he would be riding in January in the UK, especially at a time when the horses in the Charlton yard have not exactly been showing much form.

Faltejsek was looking forward to improving the form of the horses trained by George Charlton that he would be riding, and he believed things would start getting better. “It’s terribly difficult to break through and get rides for other stables,” he points out. “There’s great competition here. For some young riders it is all laid out how and where they will break through, but when someone comes along from outside, it is always tough to make it. It’s the same thing in France as in the UK.”

Jan Faltejsek has been getting some rides – as of February 21^st, he had had 36 rides this season in the UK, but only one winner. Some other trainers in the north-east of England and in Scotland have been giving him a chance, but mainly on outsiders. As he himself says, what he mainly needs is a few winners!

What about his plans for the spring months, when jumps racing returns to central Europe in April. “I guess I’ll be happy to ride in the Czech Republic. I don’t yet have anything fixed, but there are some contacts, and I think there will be some interest from the Czech Republic in my services as a jockey. I’m looking forward to some collaboration that will work out well.”

In the meantime, he will be working with horses in the UK, including Knockara Beau, the best horse he has ridden in the UK. He rode the horse to a major win at Cheltenham, and they finished far from disgraced when they ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, at the age of 14, time is not on Knockara Beau’s side. “Perhaps we have one in our yard that can take over from him. He looks quite decent, but he doesn’t quite have the class of Knockara  Beau,” Faltejsek explains. He adds, “As far as France is concerned, that’s a closed book for me, though I’ll go back there to ride horses belonging to Czech owners.”

Of course, he will surely be happy to ride again in the Velka Pardubicka, though it is not yet clear which owner or trainer he will be collaborating with. Jan Faltejsek is long-established as a top jumps jockey in the Czech Republic, and only one jockey, Josef Váňa, has won more Velka Pardubickas than he has. His services as a rider will be fought over. Those of us who follow jumps racing here fail to understand why there is so little demand in the UK and in France for this fine jockey, a complete professional who speaks English well.

This is based on an article by Petr Guth, which first appeared on the Dostihový svět Czech-language pages at the end of December 2016. Translated and adapted by Robin Healey.