The 1,000-winner jockey who's allergic to horses

As a football-obsessed child with an allergy to horses, Sean Bowen did not seem like obvious jockey material.

But at the age of 27, Bowen rode his 1,000th winner this week, reaching the landmark on Kefir d'Oudairies at Fakenham.

His love of horses has certainly grown since childhood, even if the allergies remain.

"I still am [allergic to horses] now a little bit, it's a bit of a weird one," Sean tells BBC Sport Wales.

"If dad would come in from clipping and there'd be horse hair everywhere, I'd be itching for days. Even now, sometimes if I spend all morning round horses, I'd be sneezing for the rest of the day."

A family affair

Bowen's parents, Peter and Karen, have been training racehorses for 30 years, but that did not mean he instantly took to the sport.

"I can't say I grew up loving it. I enjoyed football until I was around 11. I started riding when I was about 10," he says.

"I suppose both my brothers got into riding ponies, and then I had no-one to play football with, so I had to get on the ponies instead."

Bowen's younger brother James is also a jockey and has more than 400 winners.

"It's amazing - very few people get to have their brother in a changing room with them every day," Sean says.

"When he started riding, he pushed me to do better. It's something quite unique that we're both doing something that we're both successful at."

The brothers speak at least a couple of times each day, with James Bowen saying he would not be a jockey but for Sean's influence.

"I have so much admiration for him," James says. "I think we help each other out, but more so him helping me out."

The Pembrokeshire brothers had to share the spoils at Cheltenham in December after a dead heat was recorded between their horses.

"I was finishing well and we pulled up and he [James] was depressed because he thought he got beat," says Sean.

"When they called the dead heat, it was amazing because it's one of those things you know doesn't happen very often, let alone happen with a brother.

"The fact it was at Cheltenham, obviously the biggest racecourse in the country, it was incredible. I hope it happens again."

The dead heat between Quantock Hills, ridden by James Bowen, and Teriferma, ridden by older brother Sean, was the first at Cheltenham in eight years

'Amazing' to reach landmark

Sean Bowen has been tipped for the top since winning the apprentice jockey title 10 years ago.

"It sounds silly, but 1,000 winners isn't much when you look at AP McCoy's record - [he finished his career with 4,358 wins], but then if you look at other people's records, it's brilliant and it's amazing to do it," he adds.

"It's taken dedication and hours on end on motorways to have achieved the 1,000-winner mark. It literally is seven days a week - we get 19 days off in August. I'm actually getting married in the summer, so the honeymoon will be my break.

"My last couple of years have been particularly busy trying to chase the championship. I've had to employ a driver! I'd say I do 75,000 miles a year on my car - the cars get a good hammering."

Sean says there is no time to listen to music or a podcast when travelling - because he is having to plan and prepare.

"I'd be looking at my races," he explains.

"I'd be on my iPad watching every horse that I ride that day, watching all their previous races, how they like to be ridden and how I can get the best out of them, and seeing what every other horse in the race is doing."

Jockey Championship the next target

Bowen has already moved on to his next goal, which is to win the Jockeys' Championship for the first time.

The championship runs from the start of May to the end of April with the victor being the jockey who rides the most winners in that period.

Bowen lost out on a potential first championship last year after a fall meant he missed over a month of rides, leaving him even more determined to come out on top this year.

"It's what I've wanted for a long time now," he says. "Last year, I think I was leading it by 30 wins on the day of my injury and then I missed out by seven winners.

"Hopefully with an injury-free passage now to the end of April, I can have a good run of things."

Reigning champion Harry Cobden is full of admiration for Sean after he rode a 1,000th winner.

"For such a young man it's a phenomenal achievement - his hard work and dedication is unbelievable. He'll have to have a party," Cobden tells BBC Sport Wales.

"He's not just a brilliant jockey, he's an even better person."

Much as Sean might like to have a party, as Cobden suggests, the life of a jockey does not leave much room for indulgence.

Jockeys follow strict diets and horse racing implements a handicap system. The top weight carries 12 stone, the bottom weight carries 10 stone, depending on the quality of horse.

"Ten stone would be easier for me than some people," Sean explains.

"I'm quite lucky that I'm quite short and don't seem to have a problem with my weight, whereas James is a bit taller than me, a bit chunkier, and he has to work very, very hard at it. There'd be days where he's getting up at two or three in the morning, getting in the bath to sweat.

"He'll go and ride out in the morning, then go racing. He'd be running the track beforehand, trying to lose more weight. At times it's cruel, but I'm quite lucky that my weight is quite stable at 10 stone.

"Other jockeys would tell you I eat well, but I suppose I'm very slim compared to most people. Every day I have a little bowl of berries and yogurt and then eat a wrap on the way home and maybe a little bit of chocolate to fuel me in the end."

'A very low day'

Although Bowen has experienced some of racing's highs, it is a sport that comes with dangers for both human and horse.

Abuffalosoldier collapsed after winning the Holland Cooper Handicap Chase while Sean was being interviewed on the horse.

"The worst thing about that is that's literally never happened to me and then the fact that happened on a big day at Cheltenham on TV was obviously dreadful for the sport," he says.

"The chances of that happening are similar to the chances of somebody playing football and having a heart attack. That was a very unfortunate and a low day."

Bowen hopes there are more good days to come, and has his sights set on one ultimate goal.

"The Gold Cup and the Grand National are our two biggest races," he says.

"I've always grown up loving the Grand National and Dad loves the Grand National. It's something that he always said that hopefully one day he could win.

"I'd love to win a Grand National for my family. If I did that, I think I'd have to retire because there's not much else that can top that."