Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton finished second on her competitive debut as a jockey in the Betfair Novice Flat Amateur Riders' Handicap at Ripon.
Pendleton and her mount Royal Etiquette, a 14-1 chance, lost to 33-1 chance Jordaura by a head after leading for most of the final three furlongs.
The 34-year-old made her racecourse debut at a charity event at Newbury in July, but this is the first time she has ridden competitively.
"It's six months and six days since I ever got on a horse," Pendleton told reporters afterwards. "I feel blessed to have had the career I've had in cycling, without it I wouldn't be here, but man, I love riding horses. It's the biggest rush and so much fun, nothing really compares."
The former Olympian aims to ride in the Foxhunter Chase at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival.
Written by
Calum Gillon
Calum Gillon
