Lykke til, Taylor Kingsley!

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(That’s Norse for good luck)

Camden-based teen represents the U.S. in international racing series this Saturday

By Betsy Burke Parker

Looking to extend her Fegentri winning streak, Taylor Kingsley represents the U.S. in two races in Norway on Saturday.

At the Ovrevoll racecourse near Oslo city center, Kingsley rides the Swedish-bred Express Yourself in the second, Irish-born Moonflash in the fourth.

Kingsley won her Fegentri debut in November in Morocco, winning her 2024 Fegentri debut two weeks ago at Magdeburg in Germany. Fegentri is an international amateur jockey club.

Fegentri U.S. representative and director of the Amateur Ri ders Club of America, Don Yovanovich says that, in addition to the races in Norway, Kingsley has been invited to represent the U.S. at Chantilly in France and in Sweden later in June.

She’s currently in second on Fegentri’s ladies’ leaderboard, behind Swedish rider Elin Hedman.

“I’m thinking Taylor can be competitive for the title,” Yovanovich says. The U.S. ladies team won the 2019 Fegentri championship -- Eilidh Grant, Emme Fullilove, Erica Taylor and Bethany Baumgardner. (read more about it HERE)

“She’s gotten some good draws for Norway, and she moves up just about any horse she gets on.

“She’s extremely stylish. Taylor has a lovely seat and leg, great hands, and really uses her head in her races.

“She studies the form, and makes a plan that might improve her horse.”

The race card for Saturday's races in Oslo. The full race day program can be found HERE. We're hoping, but have not been able to confirm, that races will stream on the track's YouTube channel, HERE.

Kingsley, 18, was born into a racing family: Her father, Arch is a multi-generation horseman that won the National Steeplechase Association rider title in 1997, and trained last year’s Eclipse Award winning hurdler, Merry Maker. Mother Wendy was an upper-level event rider. Together, they operate Long Leaf Stable in Camden, South Carolina. (Learn more about the Kingsley family in TGSF's April 2023 story, HERE)

Kingsley graduated from Camden High School last spring. Though she’s taken college courses through Central Carolina College online, and would “definitely like to go back and get a degree," she's realistic. "I don't have time to focus on that right now.”

Right now, she says, the focus is on being the best rider she can be. She’s serious about her diet – weighs about 115 and is “blessed to be naturally light,” she says, so a future career as a flat jockey is realistic. She's focused on fitness too: she works with with a personal trainer four days a week to build strength and endurance, taking very seriously her current opportunities to represent America on the international stage.

Kingsley riding Rebecca Shepherd's SCANNO to win the Training Flat race at the Virginia Fall Races last October.

©Douglas Lees

Like so many born into steeplechasing, Kingsley began her jockey career in pony races. Since taking out her NSA license, she’s won races for her father, champion trainer Keri Brion and more.

Kingsley spent last winter riding out for legendary Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien at his base in Kilkenny, the winter of ‘22-’23 for trainer Shark Hanlon in County Carlow.

She rode a winner on the turf for Hanlon at Tramore last year.

Kingsley in the paddock with dad Arch and Irish trainer Shark Hanlon, ahead of a ride on Pierre Manigault's CHEF D'ETAT in August 2023.

©Breandán Ó hUallacháin

In November, she rode a sprint on the dirt in Morocco, representing the U.S. along with Maryland-based amateur rider Elizabeth Scully. Though her mount gave her a moment of concern, rearing in the paddock and smashing her face with an abrupt lunge headed to the start, Kingsley focused the filly’s attention at the break, leading gate to wire for the win.

Scully finished fourth.

On May 9, Kingsley met trainer Bernd Schrodl in the paddock at the Magdeberg racecourse west of Berlin, but their pre-race conversation yielded little detail about her mount, Irish-bred Slay The Dragon. “The odds were in some kind of decimal. They made no sense to me,” Kingsley recalls. “I couldn’t really read the form. The trainer didn’t speak any English. No one speaks any English."

With little to go on, Kingsley figured out the Irish-bred 6-year-old on the way to the start, getting up for the win and adding the 10 points to her Fegentri title total. (watch the race HERE)

Follow the Fegentri series online: fegentri.com.

Kingsley, trainer Bernd Schrodl and SLAY THE DRAGON in the winner's circle in Germany on May 9.

Photo courtesy of Fegentri

Fegentri – What is it?

The International Federation of Gentlemen and Lady Riders, Fegentri, was established in 1955 by a group of amateur race riders from France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland. Today, 25 nations take part, including the U.S. via the Amateur Riders Club of America.

ARCA carded its first races in 1986, the club formed by cartoonists Pierre Bellocq – PEB, and son Remi.

The mission statement says the group fosters international participation in racing. ARCA director Don Yovanovich, recent winner of the Skip Achuff “Stalwart of Steeplechase” award, says that expanded racing opportunities are “another way to get the experience to make (race riding) a profession.”

ARCA has launched the careers of one Eclipse Award winner – Weston Hamilton, an Eclipse runner-up – Charlie Marquez, and regional standouts Forest Boyce, Trevor McCarthy. NSA horsemen that rode ARCA, and Fegentri, races that turned pro, or turned to training, include Joe Davies, Blythe Miller Davies, Arch Kingsley, Kathy Neilson and Sanna Neilson.

Taylor Kingsley's father Arch says his own experience with Fegentri made a world of difference in his career, after ponies when he rode as an amateur, before turning pro.

"I rode in a handful of Fegentri races - at the Calgary stampede, in Angers, France, over jumps in Belgium. It was all about the experience for me.

"I never came close to winning any of them, but I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing racing in different countries.

"It is a fantastic program that offers a travel pass to the world, all on the back of a horse."

NSA’s current leading owner, Mark McMillan of Leipers Fork Steeplechasers, rode ARCA races when he was an amateur jockey in the 1980s.

Want to help?

The Amateur Riders Club of America is a 501(c)3 non-profit group; ARCA helps with expenses, including airfare, for riders representing the U.S. in Fegentri races.

To make a contribution, contact club president Don Yovanovich at (540) 270-0115.

TGSF will also collect donations digitally and pass them on to ARCA. To donate through TGSF, CLICK HERE and be sure to put "ARCA" in your donation note.

Kingsley, sporting red, white and blue, representing the USA in Germany for the first step of the Fegentri World Championship for Lady Riders 2024.

©Fegentri

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