3 minute read

Life hasn’t slowed down for trainer and former jockey Krystal Bishop since stepping away from race riding in mid-2020.

As well as training in partnership with John Dunn, Krystal Bishop continues to ride track work as well as spending considerable time breaking in and educating horses before, during and after their racing careers.

As part of her passion for teaching horses, Bishop has taken on former stable favourite Tintagel Rocker who is already forging a successful second career.

In addition, 29-year-old Bishop – the Dux of the South Australian Apprentice Academy in 2013 – is also loving life as mum to daughter Alaska.

"When I finished being a jockey last year, I wanted to get back to what I used to do before being a jockey – showjumping, eventing, activity like that," Bishop said.

"The opportunity arose in March last year when one of our old favourites, Tintagel Rocker was retired from racing. He pretty much only retired because he had reached the age limit of 13. He had 89 starts for 17 wins and multiple placings.

"He won most of his races at Port Lincoln, that was his stomping ground. He did the Port Lincoln season last year and he won a race in March just before he retired, he's an honest horse.

"When he retired I took him on to see what we could do off the track.

"I started virtually straight after he'd raced, I was pregnant at the time and he looked after me while I was pregnant, then he had a little break while I had my daughter Alaska. Now he's been back into it for a couple of months and he's already competed at a couple of events and he's nailing it."