Bradford teenager Leanne Kershaw is soaking up the sun in Trinidad before making history on Saturday as the first woman jockey to race there.

The 19-year-old won the trip of a lifetime by becoming top apprentice jockey in a series of races at Pontefract Racecourse.

Earlier this month she spent two weeks at the Gulfstream Racecourse in Florida,

exercise-riding on the track there - and is now into a one-week working holiday in Trinidad.

The former Whitcliffe Mount student has won seven races in her career so far - six of those rides provided by West Yorkshire-based racehorse syndicate Wetherby racing Bureau.

Mum Wendy of Southcroft Avenue, Birkenshaw, said: "We bought her a pony when she was 11 and she used to enter all the local gymkhanas. We are so proud of her.

"Leanne always wanted to be a jockey. Somebody told her girls do not make it and that made her all the more determined.

"At first she went to London to train to be a riding instructor but that did not work out.

"Then I saw an advertisement in the Horse and Hounds magazine for a stablehand at Middleham in North Yorkshire. She went there and racehorse owner Jedd O'Keeffe then asked her to become his apprentice jockey.

"Leanne wants to become the top girl rider in the country. We are not gambling people but we love horses and go to watch her race whenever we can.

"She is the first woman to ride in Trinidad - we are thrilled."

O'Keeffe said: "Pontefract Racecourse annually runs a series of races purely for relatively inexperienced apprentice jockeys.

"This year the series was sponsored by Betfair, an internet and telephone betting exchange. Points were awarded for winning or being placed.

"Leanne won one of the series on a horse I train called Noble Cyrano. She also finished second on the same horse in another of the heats.

"Those results meant that she was tying with another girl going into the final race. There was real competitive spirit as both girls desperately wanted to win the working holiday.

"Leanne finished third giving her horse a very cool ride while the other girl was unplaced."