Racing dream alive for one-handed aspiring jockey Harry Enright

Harry Enright, who was born with one hand, has graduated from the British Racing School and is now a work rider for Lawney Hill.

(Image credit: Great British Racing/British Racing School)

A London teenager who was born with one hand has successfully graduated from the British Racing School (BRS) as he pushes towards his dream of becoming a jockey.

Harry Enright, 17, undertook a nine-week course at the BRS, before returning to complete an 18-week foundation course and has now joined trainer Lawney Hill’s yard as a work rider.

“When I was younger I was quite into football and it got to the point where I thought I could either continue playing that, work in an office or try to make something of myself. I’ve always loved horses and decided I wanted to take that further and get into racing so I came to the British Racing School. There is Guy Disney who rides with a lower limb prosthetic, but we weren’t aware of anyone else who rode with a prosthetic arm.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

TOPICS

Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.

Racing dream alive for one-handed teenager: ‘The biggest goal for me is trying to be a jockey’

Harry added: “Everyone has their bigger goal of where they want to be. The biggest goal for me is probably trying to be a jockey. For now, I’m just taking it step by step.

“My next goal was to get into the workplace and I’ve achieved that and now it’s just continuing to move forwards towards my dreams.”

Harry’s love of horses can be traced back to sitting on a donkey at eight months old while on holiday in Ireland. When he decided he wanted to pursue a career in racing, his parents turned to the BRS.

Andrew Braithwaite, finance director at the BRS, who has been instrumental in developing the bespoke prosthetic, said they needed to find a solution that kept both Harry safe and as well as all the other horses and riders around him.

“The key was to find a solution that didn’t require the horses to adapt to the way Harry was riding,” he said.

“Thanks to Harry’s determination and natural ability this has been achieved. It has been great to see him successfully complete the course and go on to full-time employment.”

The team is continuing to develop and improve the prosthetic.

Harry’s mother, Michelle, said they are all “extremely proud” of him.

“Behind all of this for him is to inspire others like him to never give up on your dreams to really put yourself out there and keep trying,” she said.

“We’re in the 21st century and he wants to show that anything is possible. We are so proud of him with his determination to fight for the dream that he wants.”

Lawney added that Harry is “hard-working, cheeky and dedicated, and he’s determined not to let anything get in his way”.

“We are so impressed with his riding ability and his manner with the horses and he has been a brilliant addition to our team since he has joined us,” she said.

You might also be interested in:

New academy to give young people access to ponies in the home of racing

Laura Collett credited for ‘transformation’ of colt who heads to Champions Day at Ascot