Jack Duern: UK’s only out gay jockey delighted to make return to race riding after two-year absence – Sky Sports
Jack Duern, the UK’s only out gay jockey, has said it is fantastic to be back in the weighing room after returning to the saddle in July.
Duern came out publicly in 2013 and rode 74 winners before he quit race riding in 2019, having previously cited issues around acceptance of his sexual orientation and riding opportunities as well as struggling to balance work and family life.
However, he has since returned to the saddle in July this year after receiving support from trainers including Simon Dow and Steph Hollinshead, as well as his weighing room colleagues and the wider racing industry.
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing on National Coming Out Day, Duern said: “It’s fantastic to be back – I’ve had great support from my colleagues in the weighing room.
“It was a few things [that made me give it up]. The rides started to dry up and I got engaged and my partner lived three hours away so I was thinking of moving back for that and I didn’t really want to change yards again so I decided to stop riding for a while.
“I had my own yard so I have been doing that for two years and I thought whilst I am still young and fit enough I should give it another go.”
Duern highlighted the influence of Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley, who also came out in 2013, and said that it would be a lot easier now for a fellow jockey to come out with the support that is available to them.
“It was quite hard because there was nobody to look up to,” he added.
“There are a few trainers who are openly gay but as a jockey, I was the first one so it was quite daunting but I was great friends with most of the weighing room and I knew it wouldn’t be a problem with them anyway.
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“It wasn’t long after Tom Daley came out so that kind of prompted me that I can do this too.
“There’s so much support out there and the jockeys are all very welcoming so I think for young people coming into the sport it would be a lot easier for them now – you can be who you want to be and that’s quite a good environment to be in.”
Duern is being sponsored by Racing With Pride, the official LGBT+ network for British racing that is committed to improving inclusion in the sport by offering support, raising awareness and providing a platform for the sport’s LGBT+ community to have a collective voice in the industry.
David Letts, chair of Racing With Pride, added: “We all admire Jack’s courage, and he is an important role model for other LGBT+ individuals who may not be out; his story demonstrates racing’s accepting environment where people have the opportunity to be their authentic selves and reach their full potential.
“Whilst there is still much work to do, we are proud of the progress the sport has made and hope that this visible on-course representation will help to further encourage open dialogue around sexual orientation and gender identity.
“On behalf of the Racing With Pride network, we wish Jack every success and we very much look forward to supporting and following his endeavours on the racecourse.”