Rachael Blackmore (born 11 July 1989) 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 ...

jockey who competes in

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: ...

. In 2021, she became the first female jockey to win 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 st ...

in the 182-year history of the race. She also became the first woman to be leading jockey at the

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 Ra ...

with six victories, including the Champion Hurdle, in 2021. The following year she became the first female jockey to win 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 (3 ...

. Blackmore's achievements saw her named the 2021

RTÉ Sports Person of the Year The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award is the titular award of the RTÉ Sport, RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the Irish sportsperson (from the island of Ireland) judged to have ach ...

and the BBC World Sport Star of the Year.

Early life

The daughter of a teacher and a farmer (Eimir and Charles), Blackmore grew up on a dairy farm in

Killenaule Killenaule () is a small town and civil parish in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is part of the ecclesiastical parish of Killenaule and Moyglass, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and the barony of Slievardagh. It is east of ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after t ...

, Ireland, and first started riding ponies at just two years of age. Growing up she took part in pony club meetings, hunting, eventing and pony racing. She gained a degree in equine science at the

University of Limerick The University of Limerick (UL) ( ga, Ollscoil Luimnigh) is a public research university institution in Limerick, Ireland. Founded in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in 1989 in accordance w ...

, while riding out and competing as an amateur jockey.

Career

Blackmore rode her first winner as an amateur jockey on 10 February 2011, when Stowaway Pearl, trained by Shark Hanlon, won the Tipperary Ladies’ Handicap Hurdle at

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. The cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Arc ...

. She turned professional in March 2015, having ridden eleven point-to-point winners and seven winners as an amateur rider. Her first winner as a professional was Most Honourable, trained by Hanlon, at Clonmel on 3 September 2015. In 2017, she became the first woman to win the conditional riders' championship in Ireland. In 2018 Blackmore had her first ride 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 st ...

. Her mount, Alpha des Obeaux, trained by Mouse Morris, went off at 33/1 and fell at the fifteenth fence, the Chair. Her first

winner came in 2019 when A Plus Tard landed the Chase Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase. She then gained her first Grade 1 victory when Minella Indo won the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. Both winners were trained by

Henry de Bromhead Henry de Bromhead (born 28 October 1972) is an Irish horse trainer who specialises in training horses for National Hunt racing. He has trained a number of Grade 1 winners including Sizing John and Honeysuckle_(horse), Honeysuckle, and is based at ...

for whom Blackmore was by now riding as stable jockey. In the

2019 Grand National The 2019 Grand National (officially known as the Randox Health Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 172nd annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase (hors ...

Blackmore finished in tenth place on the de Bromhead-trained 66/1 chance Valseur Lido. Blackmore's first Grade 1 race victory in Ireland came in April 2019 when

Honeysuckle Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both conti ...

won the Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final at

Fairyhouse Fairyhouse Racecourse is a horse racing venue in the Republic of Ireland. It is situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 regional road, off the N3. It hosted its first race in 1848 and since 1870 has been the home of ...

. Blackmore finished the season with 90 winners and took the runner-up spot in the Irish jump racing Champion Jockey competition behind

Paul Townend Paul Townend (born 15 September 1990) is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Townend comes from Midleton in County Cork and rides primarily for the stable of Irish trainer Willie Mullins. Townend has worked for Mullins sin ...

. Honeysuckle provided Blackmore with another Cheltenham Festival win in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle in 2020. Blackmore finished third in the Irish jump racing championship in the curtailed 2019–20 season. In 2021, she achieved two notable "firsts" at the

, becoming the first female jockey to partner a winner of the Champion Hurdle when she rode Honeysuckle to victory and, by finishing with six winners across the four days, she also became the first female jockey to win the

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 Brit ...

Trophy for leading Cheltenham jockey. On 10 April Blackmore rode Minella Times to victory in the 2021 Grand National, becoming the first female jockey to win the race. Minella Times, trained by de Bromhead, went off as fourth favourite at 11/1 and, having given Blackmore a "sensational spin", passed the post 6½ lengths in front of stablemate and runner-up Balko Des Flos. Due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

protocols, there were no spectators on the course to witness Blackmore's historic victory. Interviewed by ITV after the race, she said: "I don't feel male or female right now. I don't even feel human.... It's unbelievable". At the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, Blackmore secured a repeat win on Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle and then became the first female jockey to win 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 (3 ...

, riding favourite

A Plus Tard A Plus Tard (foaled 6 February 2014) is a French-bred thoroughbred racehorse competing in National Hunt racing. Career A Plus Tard was bred in France by Mme Henri Devin and raced five times in the country in 2017 and 2018, never finishing outs ...

to a 15 length victory.

Personal life

As of April 2021, Blackmore is in a relationship with jockey Brian Hayes.

Cheltenham Festival winners (12)

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 (3 ...

- (1) - A Plus Tard (

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

) *

Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle The Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle (known as the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle for sponsorship reasons) is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years ...

– (1) – Bob Olinger (2021) *

Champion Bumper The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four to six years. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ ...

– (1) – Sir Gerhard (2021) * Champion Hurdle – (2) –

(

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

) *

Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase The Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase, known for sponsorship purposes as the Paddy's Reward Club Novices' Handicap Chase, is a Listed National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years ...

– (1) – A Plus Tard (2019) *

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) – Honeysuckle (2020) *

Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle The Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle, run as the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle for sponsorship purposes, is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run ...

– (1) – Telmesomethinggirl (2021) *

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 ...

- (1) - Bob Olinger (2022) *

Ryanair Chase The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs ...

– (1) – Allaho (2021) * Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle – (1)

Minella Indo Minella Indo (foaled 18 April 2013) is an Irish racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He was one of the leading Novices' Hurdlers 2018/19 season when he recorded Grade 1 victories in the Spa Novices' Hurdle and Irish Daily Mirror No ...

(2019) *

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 ...

– (1) – Quilixios (2021)

Major wins

Ireland * Arkle Novice Chase – (1) Notebook (2020) *

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 ...

– (3)

(2019, 2020, 2021) * Irish Champion Hurdle – (3) Honeysuckle (2020, 2021, 2022) *

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) Minella Indo (2019) *

Ladbrokes Champion Chase The Ladbrokes Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Down Royal over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its r ...

- (1) Envoi Allen (2022) *

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) Honeysuckle (2019) * Paddy's Reward Club Chase – (2) A Plus Tard (2019), Envoi Allen (2021) *

Punchestown Champion Hurdle The Punchestown Champion 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 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during ...

- (2) Honeysuckle (2021,2022) * Racing Post Novice Chase – (1) Notebook (2019) * Slaney Novice Hurdle – (1) Bob Olinger (2021) ---- Great Britain *

Betfair Chase The Betfair 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 Haydock Park over a distance of about 3 miles and furlongs (3 miles 1 furlong ...

- (1) - A Plus Tard (2021)

Awards

On 17 December 2021, Blackmore was named ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2021. The same week she was crowned

Horse Racing Ireland Horse Racing Ireland (HRI; ga, Rásaíocht Capaill na hÉireann) is the governing body of horse racing on the island of Ireland. It is based in the Curragh, County Kildare, next to the racecourse of that name. HRI was founded in 2001, succeedi ...

Irish Racing Hero and

. On 19 December she received the BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackmore, Rachael 1989 births Living people Irish female jockeys Sportspeople from County Tipperary Alumni of the University of Limerick BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year winners