Stories From The Saddle: Katie Featherstone And Seb Mead
- pporacommittee
- Apr 11
- 6 min read
Katie Featherstone and her partner Seb Mead are the in-form couple of South East point-to-
pointing. They both rode winners at Parham on the last weekend on March – Katie on her
own Petite Mike and Seb on his employer David Phelan’s Time To Upgrade – which was the
first time the pair had achieved the feat, after several near misses, then Katie won again at
Kingston Blount a week later on new recruit Commander In Ten. Jake Exelby Zoomed with
them following their recent successes to find out more about the young couple, their
background in the sport and what they hope to achieve in the saddle.
How did you got into point-to-pointing in the first place?
Katie: My Mum and Dad – Nicky, who is South East Area Secretary, and John – have
always had pointers. I rode in pony races and had my first ride over fences in 2019 – I
started late because Dad was against it. He still gives me abuse about my riding now!
Seb: I’m not from a horsey background, although my sister rode a bit. When I was 12, I got
on her pony, found it good fun, so got my own pony on loan and started hunting. I loved
jumping and going fast and wouldn’t be race-riding if it wasn’t for hunting.
I liked the idea of being a jockey but thought I’d be too heavy. I used to ride for former jockey
Kylie Manser then got the job as David Phelan’s head lad during Covid, about four-and-a-
half years ago.
Katie, you had your first victory – a walkover – in 2019 but it took you until last season
to ride your first ‘proper’ winner, and now you’ve had seven wins and six places from
your last 14 rides. What do you think has made the difference?
There were meant to be two runners in the race Winola won, but the vet withdrew the other
horse down at the start. I had lots of bad horses! Well, not the sort I needed. It was good for
teaching me how to ride, even though I didn’t get involved at the finish. Then Imperial
Acolyte, my first real winner, took a while to get going. I was doing it all on my own… then Seb came along. We met out hunting with the Mid Surrey Farmers Drag. We’re both mad keen on our hunting.I didn’t think I’d ever ride a winner but kept plugging away. Having better horses and a different training routine has helped. We train the horses in a field at Wadhurst in East Sussex, take them to the Grissells at Brightling to gallop, then go to the sea at Camber Sands to freshen them up.
Seb, it also took you a while to have your first winner but – like Katie – you’ve now
ridden six in the last two seasons. How has your career developed and how did your
successful association with Robert Varnham come about?
Before I knew David, I went to the sales and bought a horse – Celtic Rising, who’d been with
Henry de Bromhead and had been quite high class at one point. David was too polite to say,
‘Don’t bother with him,’ and I rode him in two point-to-points – my first rides – and fell twice!
Then Brian Homewood, one of David’s owners, let me ride West Lake. He was the perfect
schoolmaster and got me going – we didn’t win, but I rode him nine times. It was great to
have my first winner in Brian’s colours, on Buachaill Dana, at Ampton in 2023.
I got to know Rob because he wanted me to ride at Aldington for him that year, but I had
other commitments. That was when his association with Keagan Kirkby, who sadly passed away last year, started. I was friendly with Keagan in the weighing room – we always had
banter – and, after he died, Rob asked me to come and school and to ride as his first jockey.
It’s going well. He’s a good trainer with some nice horses.
What has been your career highlight?
Katie: My double on Imperial Acolyte and Secret Cargo last May Bank Holiday.
Seb: My first winner – it’s always good to ride one for the boss! Buachaill Dana was a lovely
little horse – just shy of 16 hands – who I always rode at home.
Winning the PPORA Novice Riders Championship Final on Imperial Esprit at Edgcote last
season was another highlight.
It must have been great both winning on the same day at Parham. What were your
feelings and how did you celebrate?
Seb: It was a good day, but we couldn’t go to the pub as I was riding our horse Crookbarrow
at Maisemore Park on the Sunday. We celebrated after Kingston Blount though.
Katie, you had a great season in 2024. Are Imperial Acolyte and Secret Cargo going to
race this year?
If I’d won on Acolyte at Kingston Blount on the last weekend of the season, I’d have been
female champion novice. Acolyte has retired now but Secret Cargo will be back next season.
You’ve both had seven wins (one of Katie’s a walkover). Do you have a rivalry about
who rides more winners?
Katie: The only rivalry is that Seb keeps teasing me about one of mine being a walkover!
Which has been your favourite horse?
Katie: Secret Cargo. He’s very exciting and we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s one of
three winners that David (Phelan) has found for me.
Seb: Imperial Esprit is important to me. I was having a dry season last year, I got the ride on
him, and he gave me two good winners. He got me going properly.
Which horse (not one of your own mounts) would you most like to ride?
Seb: Definite Dilemma. Ella Gillings does a really good job with him, and I keep finishing
behind him!
Which other jockeys do you admire?
Katie: It would have to be Gina Andrews. It’s great what she’s achieved in a male-dominated
sport.
Seb: Yorky (Phil York) is a legend. He’s always in good form, the face of the weighing room,
and he’s great for pointing.
What's your favourite course?
Katie: Either Kingston Blount or Godstone. I have my best record (two wins and two seconds
from four rides) round Kingston Blount.
Seb: Probably Parham. It’s a mixture of island fences and woods, and you’ve got to have a
horse who jumps. As I said, I love jumping, which is important round Parham.
What are you most looking forward to about the rest of the season?
Katie: Some rain!
Seb: I’d like to ride a few more winners for Rob, to make sure he has a good season. And I’d
love our Maiden Crookbarrow to win. Both the horses who beat him at Charing have won
since, he was third at High Easter behind two good horses and didn’t run badly at
Maisemore Park in a good race. Hopefully he’ll go to Parham the week after Easter.
What are your ambitions in pointing and racing?
Katie: I intend to take out a Category A or B licence (to ride under rules) next season.
Seb: It’s a dream for both of us to ride over the Grand National fences.
You’re both keen hunters. What do you think will happen to pointing after a hunting
ban?
Katie: I think the fixtures will be run by Hunt Clubs.
Seb: I think it will struggle initially, and it would be good if it could be coordinated nationally.
In areas where hunting is big, pointing’s propped up by the hunts, but Charing – for example
– relies on such a small group of volunteers. People like Katie’s Mum Nicky and Sally and
Nick Bowman do an amazing job.
I think pointing’s stronger than hunting and shouldn’t rely on hunting as much as it does.
What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?
Katie: I’d have fewer courses in the South East and more national support for the Area. We’d
struggle to run the fixtures without horses coming in from outside.
Seb: Because it’s so expensive to buy and train horses, we need to embrace
professionalism. You can’t buy a horse for nothing and train it in a field anymore if you want
to take on the big guns. You need a horse rated at least 100 now.
I’d like the sport to be organised nationally, like British Eventing is. They pay their volunteers,
which makes it more official. I think more profits should go back into the sport, too.
What are your non-horsey hobbies?
Katie: I enjoy going on holiday. We’re thinking about going to Sri Lanka this year – it’s
somewhere a bit different.
Seb: I play cricket in my local village, Yalding, with my two brothers and my Dad. I’d describe
myself as a jack of all trades, master of none – I just about make the team!
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Katie: A big shout out to David for finding our horses, mostly from Ireland. He knows Irish
racing inside out and gets us horses he knows will be OK if sweetened up.
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