Jockey Hollie Doyle has been named The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year for 2020. Doyle holds the record for most winners in a calendar year by a female jockey, and booted home her first Group 1 winner when Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) won the G1 British Champions Sprint S. in October. The reinswoman was also successful at Royal Ascot with Scarlet Dragon (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) earlier this year.
“I am blown away to have won the Sunday Times Sportswoman of The Year award,” said Doyle. “It's been an unusual year in so many ways and I feel very grateful to have been able to do what I love day in, day out.
“Seeing my name compared to the previous winners of the award with the likes of Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Dame Kelly Holmes, is pretty crazy and very humbling.”
The British Horseracing Authority's chair Annamarie Phelps paid tribute to Doyle, and said, “I am delighted that Hollie's record-breaking success in her jockey career has been recognised at a national level. This accolade is richly and truly deserved and she joins a stellar list of past winners of this award.
“In one of the few sports where men and women compete on equal terms, Hollie is living proof of the fact that female jockeys can be more than a match for the men. However, this is about far more than just the boundaries Hollie has broken as a female athlete. Through her dedication, professionalism, bravery, focus, athletic ability and level-headedness Hollie sets the template that all young sports people should aspire to, regardless of sport or gender.”
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