Bromley was honoured to ride for leading owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede during his time in the saddle but he says the sport took its toll on his mental health
A young jockey who has quit racing aged 23 has opened up about the “pressure and stress” he felt trying to get results on the track.
Ben Bromley, an employee of leading owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, hopes talking about his battles will help other struggling riders. The conditional said his career never fully recovered after he was banned for 32 days for his ride on Call Me Lord at Sandown in December 2022.
He was given 28 for riding to the wrong winning post, which saw him lose the race by a nose and a further four from the stewards for overuse of the whip. “That was where it all started,” he said. “I had four winners the week before and when I came back from the ban I felt I had been forgotten about.
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“My career had been going really well, I turned conditional and was riding for lots of different people.”
The son of leading bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley had 24 winners point-to-pointing after he linked up with family friends Mel and Phil Rowley. They helped his career from the age of 16 after the former pony racer relocated from Newmarket and he went on to try his luck under Rules.
The 2022-23 season – which saw him suffer the mishap on Nicky Henderson-saddled Call Me Lord – was his best with 13 winners and £165,000 of prize money. He recorded an important success on Park Annonciade in the colours of Munir and Souede at Haydock in November 2023, which was Betfair Chase day.
“They have been massive supporters of mine,” said Bromley, in contention for a long way on their chaser Intense Raffles in the 2025 Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. “I was very lucky to ride for them. I love horses and the sport of horse racing.
“I just wasn’t getting enough success overall and I didn’t think that would change.”
Bromley intended to sign off after competing at Exeter on New Year’s Day, but the meeting was abandoned. He was relieved he did not have to claim off bottom weight of 10st 2lb and went to McDonald’s for a meal instead. Bromley, who was offered a job by 14-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls last season, said: “I was starving and was relieved I wouldn’t have to do that again.
“Over the years there was a hell of a lot more downs than ups, such as travelling to the races for one ride and it not going well while you were doing your best.
“When you don’t have the success to even out the bad days it’s a hard place to be.”
Girl Of Gold was Bromley’s final winner at Fakenham on December 21, a horse sporting silks of the Highflyer Bloodstock which has been run for a long time by his dad and David Minton.
“That was one of the good days,” Bromley junior said. “I would say I was depressed for quite a while, due to the pressure and stress of race-riding. I had to go out there, smile and do my job.
“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders to say I have retired. I feel free and ready to find myself again.”
