Bryan Cooper (born 7 August 1992) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

National Hunt In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

and is the son of trainer Tom Cooper and his mother is Geraldine Cooper née O'Brien. Cooper was born in

Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in County ...

, County Kerry, Ireland and in his short career to date has scored notable wins at the National Hunt

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Rac ...

Background and early life

Coming from a horsey family it was virtually inevitable that Cooper would be involved in that industry. Around the time he was born his parents won a pony in a raffle and this was named Snowy by the family. At an early age Cooper jumped up on Snowy's back and rode him around his fathers yard. He then progressed to the pony and show jumping circuit and retained an interest in these events until he was around 15 years old. Cooper took part in his first race when he was just 14, learning his trade in his father's yard and spending his school holidays in the yard of Dessie Hughes. Knowing that a life in the horse industry was for him; Cooper left school before completing his final exams and took up a post in the yard of Kevin Prendergast which led to his first racecourse ride in

The Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the f ...

on 14 September 2008.

Riding career

At 15 Cooper weighed 8 stone 4 pound, but a growth spurt during this period put paid to his chances of riding on the flat. He returned to Dessie Hughes yard so that he could take up riding National Hunt horses which was always his first love. Memorably for Cooper his first win was aboard Rossdara, a horse trained by his father, in a maiden hurdle race at

Clonmel Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...

on 29 October 2009. A few weeks later Cooper rode his first winner for Dessie Hughes at

Punchestown Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish Nationa ...

and in the next season 2010/11 he fulfilled his promise by winning the conditional championship and winning his first Listed race by piloting Coscorrig to victory in the John Fowler Mares Chase. His winning margin was 14 better than his nearest rival and he also managed to win at the renowned

Galway Races The Galway Races (Irish: ''Rásaí na Gaillimhe'') is an Irish horse-racing festival that starts on the last Monday of July every year. Held at Ballybrit Racecourse in Galway, Ireland over seven days, it is one of the longest of all the race ...

that begin on the last Monday in July. The teenage Cooper had another exceptional season in 2011/12 finishing the season with 36 wins and also scoring his first Grade 1 victory aboard Benefficent for Tony Martin in the

Deloitte Novice Hurdle The Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres ...

Leopardstown Leopardstown () is a suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. Located at the foot of the Dublin Mountains, it is a residential suburb with institutional lands and a large racecourse. It is ...

in February. He also won two Grade 2 races for Dessie Hughes at Thurles and Limerick and managed to ride a few placed horses at the Cheltenham Festival meet. The world really took notice of Cooper in the 2012/13 season after 3 wins at the Cheltenham Festival meeting. His wins came on rides aboard Benefficient in the

Golden Miller Novices' Chase The Golden Miller Novices' Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Turners Novices' Chase, is a Grade One National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the N ...

, Our Conor in the

Triumph Hurdle The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 f ...

and Ted Veale in the County Handicap Hurdle. His total number of wins was only one behind that of

Ruby Walsh Rupert Walsh (born 14 May 1979 in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland) is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Walsh is the third most prolific winner in Britis ...

. He also managed to place fifth in the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...

Aintree Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England. It i ...

on Rare Bob, but his season was cut short after he broke his femur while riding at

Down Royal Down Royal Racecourse is a horse racing venue near Lisburn in Northern Ireland. The most valuable race run there is the Ladbrokes Champion Chase, run at the Northern Ireland Festival of racing in November. The most valuable flat race to be run ...

. It was announced on 3 January 2014 that Cooper is to take over the position of retained jockey for Gigginstown House Stud from the 2012/13 Irish Champion Jockey

Davy Russell Davy Russell (born 27 June 1979) is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey. He was Irish jump racing Champion Jockey three times, and won the Grand National (twice), the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. Childhood and ama ...

. Cooper had his first winner for the stud riding Toner D’Oudairies at the Listed

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles (Roman Catholic parish), Thurles. The cathedral ch ...

Racecourse Supporters Club Chase on 6 January 2014. On the second day of the 2014 Cheltenham Festival, Cooper sustained fractures to his

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

and

fibula The fibula or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. Its upper extremity is ...

in a fall at the last in the

Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle The Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle, known for sponsorship purposes as the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It ...

. At the 2016 Cheltenham Festival Meeting Cooper won the

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ( ...

riding

Don Cossack Don Cossacks (russian: Донские казаки, Donskie kazaki) or Donians (russian: донцы, dontsy) are Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host (russian: До� ...

; this race is the Blue Riband of National Hunt Racing. On 28 July Gigginstown Stud manager Eddie O'Leary announced that Cooper would no longer be retained by Gigginstown but would continue to ride for Gigginstown a lot.

Major wins

Ireland *

Ryanair Gold Cup The WillowWarm Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Ireland which is open to Horse racing, horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fair ...

-(1) Road To Respect (2017) *

Mares Champion Hurdle The Mares Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to mares aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown Racecourse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (), and du ...

-(1) Apple's Jade (2017) *

Champion Four Year Old Hurdle The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its run ...

-(2) Petite Parisienne (2015), Apple's Jade (2016) *

Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle The Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during ...

-(1) Champagne Classic (2017) * Drinmore Novice Chase -(2) Valseur Lido (2014), No More Heroes (2015) *

Hatton's Grace Hurdle The Hatton's Grace Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 ...

-(1) Apple's Jade (2016) *

Racing Post Novice Chase The Racing Post Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), chase in Ireland. The race is run at Leopardstown Racecourse in December, over a distance of 2 miles and 1 furlong ...

-(2) Clarcam (2014), Franco De Port (2020) * Paddy's Reward Club "Sugar Paddy" Chase -(1) Benefficient (2013) * Christmas Hurdle -(1) Lieutenant Colonel (2014) * JNwine.com Champion Chase -(2) Roi du Mee (2013), Don Cossack (2015) *

Savills Chase The Savills Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and ...

-(2) Road To Riches (2014), Don Poli (2015) *

December Festival Hurdle The December Festival Hurdle, currently known by its sponsored title of the Matheson Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is ...

-(1) Petit Mouchoir (2016) * Fort Leney Novice Chase -(2) Don Poli (2014), No More Heroes (2015) *

Arkle Novice Chase The Arkle Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong (3 ...

-(2) Benefficient (2013), Trifolium (2014) *

Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle The Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is for horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles and 6 furlongs (4, ...

-(2) A Toi Phil (2016), Latest Exhibition (2020) *

Spring Juvenile Hurdle The Spring Juvenile Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run at Leopardstown Racecourse in February, over a distance of 2 miles. The race is restricted to four-year-old horses only a ...

-(1) Petite Parisienne (2015) * Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle -(1) Benefficient (2012) *

Dr P. J. Moriarty Novice Chase The Dr P. J. Moriarty Novice Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older ...

-(1) Outlander (2016) *

Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase The Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 3 miles and ½ furlong ...

-(1) Disko (2017) ----

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ( ...

-(1) Don Cossack (2016) *

-(1) Our Conor (2013) *

Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle The Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years. It is ...

-(1) Apple's Jade (2016) *

David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle The David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to mares aged four years or older. It ...

-(1) Apple's Jade (2017) *

RSA Insurance Novices' Chase The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of abou ...

-(1) Don Poli (2015) *

-(1) Benefficient (2013) * Betway Bowl -(1) First Lieutenant (2013) *

Maghull Novices' Chase The Maghull Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 ...

-(1) Special Tiara (2013) *

Fighting Fifth Hurdle The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of about 2 miles and half a ...

-(1) Identity Thief (2015)

References

External links

Bryan Cooper's Profile Page on Go Racing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Bryan Irish jockeys Living people Irish sportsmen 1992 births