Noel Fehily (born 24 December 1975) is a retired Irish professional

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

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 ...

. Throughout his professional career, he has enjoyed substantial success including the

King George VI Chase The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of ...

and

Champion Hurdle The Champion 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 on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a ...

, despite enduring significant injuries.

Personal life

In 2007, Fehily married Natasha Chappell at a wedding ceremony in

Gougane Barra Gougane Barra () is a scenic valley and heritage site in the Shehy Mountains of County Cork, Ireland. It is near Ballingeary in the Muskerry ''Gaeltacht''. Gougane Barra is at the source of the River Lee and includes a lake with an oratory built ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

. He has two brothers Eamonn and Micheal who both have achievements in racing and Gaa. Their father was a Cork farmer. Natasha describes him as having a very calm personality, saying: "If he was any more relaxed he'd be asleep." They had their first child, a daughter, Niamh, on September 2, 2012.

Early career

Fehily began his jockey career by working on the Irish point-to-point circuit. His next step was hunter chases, which became the field he ultimately specialised in. So he moved to the UK where he won at Plumpton, in 1998 riding Ivy Boy. In 2001 Fehily became Conditional Jump Jockey Champion. After that he became the number one jockey in Charlie Mann's yard.

Career

In 2005 he became second jockey to Jonjo O’Neill, at the same time, riding for trainer

Charlie Mann Charlie Mann is a Scottish sports broadcaster and Public Relations guru who currently appears on ''Sportsound'' on BBC Radio Scotland as a match reporter and occasionally does trackside work. Mann was the spokesman of Heart of Midlothian majority ...

. In 2008 had his first

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 ...

winner, which was on Silver Jaro. Later that year he won his first Grade 1, which was for Mann on

Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used ...

Punchestown Racecourse Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 Regional road (Ireland), regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays ...

in the Champion Novice Chase. In the 2008/09 season he came fourth in the Jockeys’ table with 89 winners. Fehily also had some rides for Paul Nicholls during the time

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 ...

was out with injuries or when Walsh was riding for Willie Mullins. Fehily won the

Tingle Creek Chase The Tingle Creek Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mil ...

Master Minded {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Master Minded , image_name = Master Minded.jpg , caption = Master Minded at Sandown in 2011. , sire = Nikos , grandsire = Nonoalco , dam = Haute Tension , damsire = Garde Royale , sex = Gelding , foaled ...

in 2010. He rode

Rock On Ruby Rock On Ruby, (foaled 11 May 2005) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist hurdler he is best known for his performances in the 2011–2012 National Hunt season, when he won the Gerry Feilden Hurdle at Newbur ...

in the 2012 Champion Hurdle and won after he missed the 2010 and 2011 Cheltenham Festivals through injury. In 2013 and 2014 he won the King George VI Chase on

Silviniaco Conti Silviniaco Conti (14 April 2006 – 9 April 2018) was a French-bred, British-trained Selle Français horse racing, racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. After winning several important races over Hurdling (horse race), hurdles he emerge ...

. In 2017 he again won the

Champion Hurdle The Champion 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 on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a ...

, this time on Buveur d'Air for trainer

Nicky Henderson Nicholas John Henderson (born 10 December 1950) is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer six times. Background His father was Johnny Henderson who was one of the founders of the Racecourse Holdings Tru ...

. The following day he also won the

Queen Mother Champion Chase The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the onli ...

on Special Tiara. He rode Minella Rocco in the 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup following an injury to Barry Gerraghty. Minella Rocco came second by 2 and 3/4 lengths. Noel retired from racing in 2019, with his final race being in Newbury on the 23rd of March

Injuries

As of 2015, in his work, Fehily has sustained a shoulder injury and a horse falling on top of him at

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

. He has endured injuries to both shoulders, a broken leg, as well as a wrist injury.

Cheltenham Festival winners (6)

Champion Hurdle The Champion 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 on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a ...

-(2) Rock On Ruby (2012), Buveur d'Air (2017) *

-(1) Special Tiara (2017) *

Supreme Novices' Hurdle The Supreme Novices' 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 on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of a ...

-(1) Summerville Boy (2018) * Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle -(1) Unowhatimeanharry (2016) *

County Handicap Hurdle The County Handicap Hurdle is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distan ...

- (1) Silver Jaro (2008)

Major wins

Ireland *

Herald Champion Novice Hurdle The Bective Stud Champion 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 Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles ½ furlong (2 miles ...

-(1) Draconien (2018) *

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) Air Force One (2008) *

Champion Stayers Hurdle The Champion Stayers Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Ireland which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown Raceco ...

-(1) Unowhatimeanharry (2017) *

Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final The Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to mares aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse Racecourse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 fu ...

-(1) Bitofapuzzle (2015) *

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) Monalee (2018) ----

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 ...

Henry VIII Novices' Chase The Henry VIII Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles ...

-(2) Vibrato Valtat (2014), Altior (2016) *

-(1) Master Minded (2010) *

-(2) Silviniaco Conti (2013,2014) *

Challow Novices' Hurdle The Challow Novices' 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 Newbury over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs (2 m ...

-(1) Parlour Games (2015) * Tolworth Hurdle -(1) Summerville Boy (2018) *

Clarence House Chase The Clarence House 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 Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong (2 ...

-(1) Dodging Bullets (2015) *

Scilly Isles Novices' Chase The Scilly Isles 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 Sandown Park over a distance of around two miles ...

-(1) For Non Stop (2012) *

Ascot Chase The Ascot 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 Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs (2 miles, 5 furlo ...

-(1) Silviniaco Conti (2016) *

Manifesto Novices' Chase The Manifesto Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree Racecourse, Ain ...

-(1) Flying Angel (2017) * Betway Bowl -(2) Silviniaco Conti (2014, 2015) *

Top Novices' Hurdle The Top Novices' Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and half a ...

-(1) Buveur d'Air (2016) *

Mersey Novices' Hurdle The Mersey Novices' Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree, Merseyside, over a distance of about 2 mil ...

-(2) Bouggler (2009), Black Op (2018) * Celebration Chase -(1) Special Tiara (2015)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fehily, Noel 1974 births Living people Irish jockeys Lester Award winners