DAN FORTT, the former Hennessy Gold cup-winning jockey, is running away to the circus – at the age of 41.

This summer Fortt enjoyed a spell with the hugely-popular Cotswold-based Giffords Circus so much that has signed up for the full tour in 2015.

“I have worked with Giffords for years but I had the opportunity to be their stable manager for nine weeks this year, as well as appearing in the show every night – and I loved it.

“It was scary at first but the performances gave me the same buzz as race-riding.

“So I have signed up to go away on the full May-September tour next year.”

Fortt is also about to become the latest poster boy of the Jockeys Employment Training Scheme (JETS) and on Sunday he collected the Injured Jockeys Fund Richard Davis Progress Award at Cheltenham races.

The IJF was co-founded in 1964 by the late Lord Oaksey and JETS, which helps jockeys find other jobs when their careers come to an end, was set up in 1995.

Fortt, who lives in Stratton on the edge of Cirencester, has been rewarded for building up a successful tree felling and log selling business (Churn Cottage Firewood; 01285 658478) from scratch over the last three years.

With the help of JETS and the IJF he has not only been able to rebuild his life but reconstruct his body as well.

Like so many jump jockeys Fortt’s body bears the scars of numerous falls.

“I have had seven operations over the last five years, mostly to my shoulder which has needed to be completely rebuilt, as well as a hip replacement,” said Dan.

“The Injured Jockeys Fund provide a wonderful support network, I can’t imagine any other sport has anything else quite like it.

“I have been able to use the remarkable rehab facilities at Oaksey House in Lambourn, but it is not just that. You are never forgotten; they are constantly in touch and helping with financial and moral help.

“As for JETS I can’t say enough about them. I left school before I was 16 to become a jockey with absolutely no qualifications.

“When I was looking to start again I suggested to JETS that I might like to work in forestry as I am an outdoorsy sort of person and they helped me get my forestry licences.

“But running your own business requires other skills so they organised for me to take some GCSEs and do some computer courses, too.”

Chopping down trees and selling firewood was a long way from his thoughts when he was thrust into the racing limelight 21 years ago after winning the Hennessy Gold Cup Newbury on Cogent, trained near Marlborough by Andy Turnell.

The Hennessy is second only to the Grand National in value and prestige among handicap chases in the calendar and Fortt admits that as a young conditional (apprentice) jockey he did not appreciate what a big deal it was at the time.

“Simon McNeill, the stable jockey, was available but I had won on the horse in its prep race and Andy and the American owners decided to stick with me to use my 7lb claim,” he said.

Their faith was rewarded when Fortt got the better of Adrian Maguire and Graham Bradley to win the big race at 10-1.

“I think it was only my 10th winner,” added Fortt.

But the Hennessy victory was not the springboard to success.

“I’m naturally 12 and half stone and the constant wasting to get down to 9st 10lb took its toll. But I was no different to any of the other jockeys in that respect,” he said.

Fortt had an 18-month spell out of the game before returning to ride for David Gandolfo near Lambourn. But after 12 seasons and 65 winners in total he did eventually call it a day.

He stayed in racing, however, to work as a jockeys’ valet cleaning and preparing all the saddles and tack. “When I got to about 30 I wasn’t getting the quality of rides I did when I was younger,” said Dan. “A jockey-friend of mine, Chris Maude, had just bought Grand National winner John Buckingham’s valet business so I went to join him.

“It was long hours, we had to be at the course four hours before the first race and at least an hour after the last and we travelled all over the country covering both Flat and jump racing.

“I did that for seven years but the travelling was hard on my young family.”

Fortt and wife Lucy now have an eight-year-old daughter Belle. So he changed course and with the help of JETS he has made a new life for himself. “The firewood business is seasonal, fits in well with the circus work, and my family come regularly to see the shows,” said Dan.

Picking up the JETS trophy on Sunday was a poignant reminder that he is one of the lucky ones.

Richard Davis, after whom the awards are named, had just started planning for his future before a fatal race fall in 1996. “Richard was a good friend of mine and I was absolutely choked when he was killed,” said Dan.

“They run an annual race in his memory and it is one of my regrets that I was never able to win it. I finished second in it twice.

“It is a testament to his lovely family that they are still involved in racing despite their tragedy.”