THURSDAY 5 MARCH 2020Forgotten horseback hero who
humiliated the Nazis
As women in sport continue to fight for equal opportunities and
respect, Richard Askwith unearths the incredible story of a pioneering
woman jockey whose struggles on the eve of the Second World War
feel uncomfortably relevant today
Lata and Norma barely visible (far left) survive the carnage of the water jump in the Grand Pardubice, 1934 (Ceska Televize)
“Does anyone really want to read a book about horse racing?” asked my Czech friend Anna, when I told her
I was researching a biography of a forgotten jockey called Lata Brandisova. “Especially that sort of racing
where horses get hurt? Also,” she added, when I mentioned that my heroine had been a countess, “doesn’t
everyone despise aristocrats these days?” These were valid objections. If it hadn’t seemed rude, I’d have