Saffie Osborne: Eventing Gold Medallist Turned Star of the International Racing Stage

The 21st century has been blessed with an array of talented female riders. From trendsetters such as Hayley Turner and Cathy Gannon to the winning machine that is Hollie Doyle, the ladies have lit up the biggest stages to an unprecedented degree. Included in that wave of talent is a likeable young lady from Lambourn, who has progressed from eventing success to break new ground on the international scene.

First taking to the track in 2020, Saffie Osborne has earned the respect of her peers and punters with her talent, strength, tactical nous, and sheer determination. Quickly establishing herself among the upper echelons of female riders, Saffie has amassed hundreds of winners, millions in prize money, and recorded a couple of notable firsts.

Who Is Saffie Osborne?


Born on 11 March 2002, Saffron “Saffie” Rose Osborne hails from rich racing stock. Her mother is renowned equine artist Katie Sullivan, while her father, Jamie Osborne, will be a familiar name to racing fans. During a glittering career as a National Hunt jockey, Jamie picked up a host of Grade 1 victories, including wins in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Arkle Chase, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Having retired from the saddle, Jamie had set himself up as a flat trainer at Old Malthouse Stables in Upper Lambourn by the time Saffie was born.

While Saffie’s three older brothers showed little interest in equine pursuits, and in Saffie’s words, “wouldn’t know one end of a horse from the other,” young Saffie was soon bitten by the bug. Riding out from the age of 10 or 11, she was given her first pony at around the same time – a gift she credits as the finest present she has ever received.

Early Success on the Eventing Scene

Growing up on the family yard, Saffie attended Cheam School and later Bradfield College, but her passion lay with horses. Gaining experience riding out for her father, her first competitive race came in the Shetland Pony Grand National. However, it was in the eventing sphere that she had her first taste of success.

A notable young talent on the European eventing circuit, Saffie won six medals at the European Championships. Having won silver medals in the individual and team events in 2017, she returned to claim gold in both disciplines at the 2018 European Pony Championships. Her partner in that gold medal-winning year was an Irish rescue pony by the name of Little Indian Feather. That rags-to-riches star was owned by Lord and Lady Blyth, for whom Saffie would go on to ride a winner during her career as a professional jockey.

Having scaled such heights on the junior scene, a career in eventing was an option for Saffie. However, propelled by her desire to compete at the racetrack and the greater financial rewards, she changed tack to pursue life as a professional jockey.

2020-2021: Overcoming Adversity


With a career in the saddle as her goal, Saffie set about gaining further experience in the racing world. Spending four months at Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle operation, she then headed Down Under to spend a similar period at the Australian yard of Ciaran Maher.

Returning to England, Saffie began riding as an apprentice in 2020. Her first winner came on 27 July that year, as she partnered her father’s Hot Scoop to success at Windsor. Three months later, Windsor would play a rather different role in Saffie’s early career.

Taking the ride aboard the Alexandra Dunn-trained Zeyzoun, Saffie became unseated when her mount clipped heels with a rival. Sent spinning to the turf beneath the hooves of the field, the 18-year-old suffered two punctured lungs, 10 broken ribs, two arm fractures, a dislocated elbow and wrist, and a concussion, which left her with no recollection of the event. Fellow apprentice Marco Ghiani received a 10-day ban for his part in the incident.

Undeterred by such a horrific fall, Saffie returned to the saddle in early 2021. Building on her nine-winner debut year, the tough jockey found herself leading the apprentice championship in July, only for fate to intervene. Saffie’s next misfortune occurred at Newmarket, when her mount, Peerless, reared up in the starting stalls, leaving her with a broken leg. Sidelined once more, Saffie saw her championship lead disappear as the title fell to none other than Marco Ghiani.

A further dark note arrived in the Summer of 2021 when Saffie found herself on the receiving end of horrendous death threats from a disgruntled punter. While Saffie attempted to brush the incident aside, her father brought the abuse to the attention of the police. While no arrests were made, the incident highlighted the online perils faced by professional jockeys and the importance of policing the issue.

2022-2023: Breaking into the Big Time

With a turbulent 2021 behind her, Saffie set about climbing the racing ladder. Achieving a new career best total of 46 wins, she rode out her claim in November to become a fully-fledged professional jockey.

The autumn of 2022 saw Saffie celebrate the two biggest successes of her burgeoning career. A first Group race win arrived aboard the Ed Walker-trained Random Harvest in the Premio Elena e Sergio Cumani. That October victory was swiftly followed by a famous win at Doncaster as Saffie and Metier claimed the November Handicap.

In a memorable year, Saffie ended 2022 as the leading rider at the Racing League series of fixtures – a feat she would repeat in 2023 and 2024.

The good times continued in 2023, with Saffie and Metier teaming up to claim the Chester Cup, and Random Harvest providing a first domestic Group win in the Valiant Stakes at Ascot. Earlier in the year, Saffie lifted the Shergar Cup as part of the successful Girls team in her first appearance at the team-based meeting.

2024-2026: International Highs


Torn knee ligaments sustained in a fall saw Saffie miss the tail end of 2023, but she returned to make history in 2024.

Back in 2014, a 12-year-old Saffie had watched Toast Of New York win the UAE Derby from the comfort of her sofa in Lambourn. 10 years later, she found herself lining up at the same Meydan course aboard Ouzo in the February contest of the Lord Glitters Handicap. Riding with ice in her veins, Saffie stuck to the inside and pounced when the gap arrived to become the first female jockey to ride a winner at the UAE track. A mere 24 hours later, jet-setting Saffie arrived in Doha, Qatar, to complete a famous international double aboard Emaraaty Ana in the Dukhan Sprint.

Saffie has displayed her talents in the UK, Ireland, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and France. This global tour has taken in prestigious races such as the Dubai World Cup, while in 2025, she became the first jockey to ride a European-trained runner in the US Triple Crown event of the Preakness Stakes.

Champion Jockey Ambitions

As of 2026, Saffie Osborne has ridden over 300 winners in Britain, winning over £5 million for connections, not counting her international haul.

Outlining her goals in 2024, the ambitious rider stated, “I think riding big winners around the world is always the aim for any aspiring jockey and one day to hopefully be Champion Jockey is another.” Having achieved the first of those targets, it would be no surprise if she goes close to accomplishing the second before she hangs up her saddle.

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