Henrietta Catherine Knight (born 15 December 1946) is an English racehorse trainer.
Henrietta began training under rules in 1989 having previously trained over 100 winners in point-to-points between 1984 to 1989 and trains the horses on a farm in Lockinge, near Wantage in Oxfordshire.[1]
She is best known for training triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate and Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Edredon Bleu. Both horses also won the King George VI Chase and were owned by Jim Lewis and his late wife Valerie.
Among her current stable stars is Calgary Bay. The imposing six-year-old won the Dipper Chase at Cheltenham in January 2009. Somersby, who impressed many in the top novice events at the Aintree and Cheltenham Festivals, has been one of the most impressive novice chasers of the 2009/2010 season and is reportedly on target for the Arkle Chase.
Racing Demon, the winner of the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon Racecourse in 2006 and 2007, returned to the racecourse in the 2009 renewal but was uanble to follow up. He remains in training for the 2010/11 season.
Somersby, who won the Henry VIII Chase at Sandown in 2010 is arguably her best horse in the yard at present.
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Henrietta married former champion National Hunt jockey Terry Biddlecombe in 1995 and has no children. Both are recovered alcoholics.
An Oxford graduate, Henrietta formerly was a teacher of Biology and History.
Henrietta finished 12th at Badminton in 1973 and was the chairperson of the British Olympic Horse Trals Selection Committee between 1984 and 1988. This included the selection of the Silver Medal winning team for the Seoul Olympics.
A keen writer, she has authored two books thus far. Chasing Gold, and Best Mate Triple Gold.
1996 Glenlivet Hurdle (Aintree) Stompin
1997 Stayers Hurdle (Cheltenham) Karshi
1998-2001 4 Peterborough Chases (Huntingdon) Edredon Bleu
1998 Grand Annual Chase (Cheltenham) Edredon Bleu
2000 Lanzarote Hurdle (Kempton Park) Heart
2000 Sun Alliance Chase (Cheltenham) Lord Noelie
2000 Queen Mother Champion Chase (Cheltenham) Edredon Bleu
2000 Martell Mersey Novices' Hurdle (Aintree) Best Mate
2001 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase (Sandown Park) Best Mate
2002 Peterborough Chase (Huntingdon) Best Mate
2002 King George VI Chase (Kempton Park) Best Mate
2002 Cheltenham Gold Cup Best Mate
2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup Best Mate
2003 Clonmel Oil Chase(Clonmel) Edredon Bleu
2003 King George VI Chase (Kempton Park) Edredon Bleu
2003 Ericsson Chase (Leopardstown) Best Mate
2004 Cheltenham Gold Cup Best Mate
2005 Peterborough Chase (Huntingdon) Impek
2006 Peterborough Chase (Huntingdon) Racing Demon
2007 Peterborough Chase (Huntingdon) Racing Demon
2009 Dipper Chase (Cheltenham) Calgary Bay