Stephen Bridle

Article by Alan Trout

After riding two winners on the Flat, Stephen Reginald Bridle switched to the jumps and added another. 

He began as an apprentice with Bill Stubbs and had his first victory at Catterick on May 2, 1984, when Val Climber ran on strongly in the final furlong to overhaul Secret Finale by a neck in the Bridge Handicap.

By the following season he was riding for Geoff Wragg and it was on his Caro’s Lad that he had his second winner when the four-year-old landed the Richard Marsh Handicap by a length at Newmarket on June 1, 1985. He had two further rides on Caro’s Lad, finishing third both times. 

One of his last rides on the Flat was at Salisbury on August 14, 1986, when Singing Boy, trained by Tony Hide, was fourth in the Netton Apprentice Handicap. 

Later that year he had his first ride over jumps when pulling up Bao in the Askett Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick on November 27. His third and final win was at the same course when the five-year-old mare Winnie The Witch, trained by Ken Bridgwater, came home the comfortable winner of the Hampton Hill Novices’ Handicap Hurdle on January 9, 1989. He rode her again back at Warwick 12 days later, finishing fourth. 

Whereas Stephen had no more wins, Winnie The Witch went on to spring a 33/1 shock victory in Cheltenham’s County Hurdle in 1991, going on to add Haydock’s Swinton Hurdle two months later, ridden on both occasions by the trainer’s son, David Bridgwater.