BEN JONES-BISHOP has said his move to York City Knights provides a new challenge, something which has borne out true both on and off the pitch.

The winger had spent the entirety of his previous career in full-time set-ups since becoming a professional in 2008, featuring at Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils and Wakefield Trinity before moving to part-time York.

The move has given Jones-Bishop the chance to put more focus on matters away from rugby league, including having a stake in a race horse and his property portfolio.

Along with Betfred Super League legend Danny McGuire, Leeds Rhinos half-back Luke Gale and Jones-Bishop’s agent Craig Harrison, the 32-year-old owns two-year-old Brazen Akoya, who placed seventh in her first race in Redcar earlier this week.

“There’s a few of us that are involved, myself, Danny McGuire, Luke Gale and Craig Harrison, my agent,” said Jones-Bishop.

“They’re big on their horses, but for me it was another investment and it was similar to what I do with houses where I take them, add some value and turn them into nice homes for people.

“With the horses, I’m more interested in the breeding rather than the racing. It’s a fairly complex process but it’s a fun interest that I’m still getting my head around.

“My racing knowledge is improving. We’ve got a little WhatsApp group chat and I get fed stuff in there to have a look at.”

Jones-Bishop’s property portfolio is also a keen interest of his that he has now been able to throw himself into.

“It’s given me time to focus on my property business and portfolio of my own and it’s given me time to focus on that during my free time,” he said.

“The property business is going well and it’s enabled to look at my options and take up this challenge.

“It’s been hectic because I’ve got two refurbs going on and cash flow is a bit tight at the minute but once they’re done, things should be a lot smoother.

“It’s something that I’ve been involved in for quite a while and I started around six years ago.

“My agent has always been big about his boys having something other than rugby, something to fall back on and something away from the game.

“I’ve been interested in property for a long time and I knew a few players at Leeds who had properties so it was an interesting avenue for me.

“Once I was in a position to look to invest in property I started doing it and now it looks after my bills. It gives me that freedom for when I decide to call it a day.”

Though he has an eye on a post-rugby league career, there remains plenty of on-field ambitions for Jones-Bishop, namely the 2021 World Cup which kicks off later this year in England.

He is hoping for a strong first year with the Knights ahead of representing Jamaica in the sport’s greatest international showpiece event.

Jones-Bishop added: “I think that if I look after my performances at York then I’ve got a good chance of being in contention for the end of the year.

“If you’re playing at your club, then you’ll get the recognition off the back of that. It’s been there in the background for a few years and it’s about working towards that.

“But it is still a fair few months away and a lot can happen in that time, so it’s about knuckling down at York and making sure I’m at my best.”