Josie Gordon...

Former champion apprentice Josephine Gordon has spoken for the first time about a seven-year fight against a degenerative loss of hearing that has affected her riding career.

The 32-year-old, who became the third woman to win the apprentice title when she triumphed in 2016, has recently undergone surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge on her right ear to correct a condition which threatened to make her totally deaf.

Gordon, who became the second female to ride 100 winners in a season in 2017, is hoping to resume her career at the start of the turf season, which starts at Doncaster on March 28.

Gordon, who last rode at Lingfield on January 12, said: “Basically over the past seven years, my hearing has been degrading and I’ve had to wear hearing aids the last few years. During that time, a lot of people have thought I was rude but it’s just that I can’t hear people.”

Josephine Gordon: rode 106 winners in 2017 but living off much slimmer pickings now
Josephine Gordon: champion apprentice in 2016
As it is not a common condition in the weighing room, Gordon has found things difficult. She added: “It’s a rare thing and I haven’t come across anyone that has had this problem in my time which is probably why it’s so long to get it sorted, although the IJF and Jets have been brilliant as have my sponsors Star Sports.”

The jockey was given a stark prognosis of what might happen if she did not have the condition treated.

She said: “Basically they call a dead ear on a mark of 90, which is totally deaf, and I was on a mark of about 70 and it wasn’t getting any better. If I didn’t have hearing aids I wouldn’t be able to hear too much and you can’t race ride in your hearing aids as they are too bulky so something needed to be done.”

On her operation, which took an hour and a half, she said: “I had my right ear operated on and they took one of the bones out and replaced it with a plastic pin. As a consequence, everything is now very loud and very sensitive so it has been a success but it also affects your balance. I’m also not allowed to drive at the moment and feel like a drunk toddler walking around."

She added: “I plan on having the other ear done but whether that will be in a year’s time or longer it depends but I was quite deaf in my right one.”

In recent years, Gordon has ridden work in Newmarket for Simon and Ed Crisford, for whom she rode five winners in 2025, and she also received plenty of support from Keiran Burke

Gordon said: “I sat down with Simon and told him about my hearing and he was very good about it. He said even before I can get back on a horse I can come and help out around the yard and has been very supportive. The good thing is I have my own horse at home and when I feel comfortable getting going on him hopefully I can get back to riding out.”

Hope she comes back better than ever. Deafness didn't impact Piggott's career much. His hearing never really improved, he was always quite deaf specially when someone asked him for a tenner.

thats a shame and will be the reason she kept on walking when i asked her for a kiss

possibly

You laugh as much as you want loser but you laugh alone. No one finds you remotely funny. Most people just ignore you.

Do you even realise that an 8 year old would find your name calling embarrassing.   

Or you do know but can't help yourself?


You can't possibly have been like this all your life?

Btw,Loser is inaccurate as well,scrub buddy boy

Loser has never been more accurate --there is no doubt about that.