The Muswellbrook-based jockey finished equal with Dubbo’s Greg Ryan on the HNWRA jockeys’ premiership after both tallied 35 wins for the EI-shortened season.

It was an outstanding effort from Henry, who is hoping to start the new season in Tamworth today with more

success.

“It’s great,” Henry said from Muswellbrook yesterday after another typically busy

morning.

Henry rides work at Muswellbrook for Mack Griffith before driving to Scone and finishing off for the likes of Luke Griffith, Jen Butler and Greg Bennett.

Henry began her apprenticeship in Tamworth before heading to Sydney and then returning to the country last year.

“I wasn’t getting many rides in Sydney,” Henry said.

“So I came back to the bush.”

She originally moved to Scone to ride for Paul Messara but wasn’t getting many rides so elected to go freelance and base herself in Muswellbrook where she has linked with the Griffith brothers, who won 38 races between them in the just finished season.

“It’s been fantastic,” Henry said.

“Hopefully I can start with a few winners at Tamworth.

“It’d be a nice way to start the new season.”

She has “six or seven” rides at Tamworth today.

While she celebrated success in the HNWRA jockeys’ premiership with Ryan, Paul Perry (41) won the HNWRA trainers’ premiership and Singleton apprentice Aaron Bullock (13) the apprentices’ premiership.

Ryan also won the central Districts (36) and Western Districts (22) jockeys’ premiership as well as an 11th straight country title.

Grahame Timbrell reports Ryan finished with 93 winners for the NSW country season, five ahead of Peter Graham while Robert Thompson, who set a new Australasian benchmark at Port Macquarie last Monday, finished third with 82 wins.

Brett Cavanough is the leading country trainer for the second successive season.

The Albury-based Cavanough led in 63 winners while Coffs Harbour-based Brett Bellamy was second with 54.