Clare Balding

Clare Balding (born 1971 in Kingsclere, Hampshire is a BBC sports presenter, journalist and jockey. In 1989 and 1990, Balding was a leading amateur flat jockey and Champion Lady Rider in 1990. She was educated at Downe House, in Berkshire, where she was Head Girl and studied English at Newnham College, Cambridge where she was President of the Cambridge Union Society in Easter 1992 and graduated in 1993 with a 2:1 honours degree. She became a trainee with BBC National Radio in 1994, working on 5 Live, Radio 1 (presenting the sport on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show), Radio 2 and Radio 4. In 1995, she made her debut as a television presenter during Royal Ascot. She became BBC horse racing presenter in December 1997 after the retirement of Julian Wilson and has fronted coverage of the Grand National. She has reported from four Olympic Games, for BBC Radio in Atlanta and for BBC Television in Sydney, Athens and Beijing. She has presented two Paralympic Games, the Winter Olympics from Turin...