In Great Britain's
National Hunt racing
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: ...
, the title of Champion Jockey is bestowed on the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a racing season. From its inception in 1900 through to 1925, the award was given to the jockey who had ridden the most winners during a calendar year (January to December). Beginning in 1926, this changed, instead identifying the jockey who had ridden the most winners during a campaign season; the 1926 winner was rewarded for the 1925–26 season, for example.
Tony McCoy
Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
was Champion Jockey 20 times, which is more than any other winner; he also recorded the most wins in a season, with 289 in the 2001–02 season.
[ The award has been shared on three occasions: in 1944–45, in 1968–69,][ and in 1981–82. Over the years, three amateurs have won the title, though none more recently than 1919.][ One of them, ]Jack Anthony Jack Anthony may refer to:
*Jack Anthony (hurler) (1886–1964), Kilkenny sportsperson
*Jack Anthony (jockey) (1890–1954), Welsh champion jockey
* Jack Anthony (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter, composer and musician
*Jack Anthon ...
, won both as an amateur (in 1914)[ and as a professional (in 1922). Racing was suspended for several years during ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, which meant there was no Champion Jockey in 1943 or 1944.
In the 2015–16 season for the first time the championship was rewarded with prize money, with the 2015–16 champion receiving £15,000 and smaller prizes being awarded down to fifth place. Any Champion Jockey who wins the championship from 2016 onwards will receive the new trophy designed by Asprey and chosen by Sir AP McCoy after the previous one was gifted to Sir AP upon his retirement.
Champion jockeys
Table legend
Records
*Most titles - 20, Tony McCoy
Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
*Most consecutive titles - 20, Tony McCoy
Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
(1995–2015)
*Most wins in a season - 289, Tony McCoy
Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
(2001–2002)
*Most runner-up finishes - 17 Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to:
Academics
* Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic
* Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering
* Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...
See also
* British jump racing Champion Trainer
The Champion Trainer of National Hunt racing in Great Britain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below shows the Champion Trainer for each season since 1945–46.
Winners
* 1945–46 - Tommy Rays ...
* British flat racing Champion Jockey
The Champion Jockey of flat racing in Great Britain is the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a season. The list below shows the Champion Jockey and the number of winners for each year since 1840. The seasonal record of jockeys' ...
* British flat racing Champion Trainer
The Champion Trainer of flat racing in Great Britain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below shows the Champion Trainer for each year since 1896. The Championship was originally run from November ...
References
*{{cite book , title=Playing the game: sport and British society, 1910–45 , first=Derek , last=Birley , publisher=Manchester University Press , year=1995 , isbn=0-7190-4497-9
British jockeys
Horse racing in Great Britain
British Champion jockeys