Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE (born 18 January 1964 in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

) is a retired British

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 ...

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: ...

. He was a three-time Champion Jockey.

Racing career

Dunwoody's race victories include the King George VI Chase four times - twice on Desert Orchid in 1989 and 1990 and twice on One Man in 1995 and 1996. He also won the

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...

and

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

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 ...

s on West Tip and

Miinnehoma Miinnehoma (1983 – July 2012) was an Irish bred and British trained Thoroughbred racehorse most famous for his victory in the 1994 Grand National at Aintree, ridden by Richard Dunwoody, trained by Martin Pipe and owned by Freddie Starr. ...

respectively, the 1988

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 ...

on Charter Party and 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 d ...

on Kribensis. He received the Lester Award for "Jump Jockey of the Year" on five occasions and held the record for most career winners until

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 ...

passed his total of 1874 winners in 2002.

Charity work

On 18 January 2008, it was reported that Dunwoody and American explorer

Doug Stoup Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) which ...

had reached the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...

following a 48-day trek raising money for charity. Their route followed one which had previously been attempted by

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age o ...

and was both the first successful completion of that route on foot as well the first successfully completed new route to the South Pole in ten years. On 29 May 2009, Dunwoody started a 1000 Mile Challenge for charity and walked the same mile 1000 consecutive times in Newmarket for 1000 consecutive hours with the last mile up the home straight of Newmarket racecourse just before the Bunbury Cup on 10 July 2009. On 26 February 2017, Dunwoody embarked on a walk across Japan, covering a distance of 2,000 miles, to raise money for

Sarcoma UK A sarcoma is a malignant tumor, a type of cancer that arises from transformed cells of mesenchymal ( connective tissue) origin. Connective tissue is a broad term that includes bone, cartilage, fat, vascular, or hematopoietic tissues, and sar ...

cancer charity. His trek, from Cape Sata on the southern tip of Kyushu to Cape Soya, the northernmost part of Hokkaido, took 101 days.

''Strictly Come Dancing''

On 25 August 2009 it was announced that he would take part in Series 7 of the BBC's ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 j ...

'' partnering Lilia Kopylova. The couple were eliminated on the second week.

Personal life

Dunwoody's

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

is called ''Obsessed'' and was published, after his retirement, in the year 2000. He published a second autobiography called ''Method in My Madness: 10 Years Out of the Saddle'' in 2009. He is a motivational speaker. In January 2014, he hosted his debut photographic exhibition at

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

featuring images taken in Pakistan, India, Guatemala and Egypt for the charity

Brooke Hospital for Animals Brooke is a United Kingdom-based international equine charity, which focuses on the welfare and care of donkeys, horses and mules. With more than 900 people working helping to deliver services, Brooke is the largest equine charity in the world ...

. His daughter was born in 2015.

Cheltenham Festival winners (18)

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) Charter Party (1988) *

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 d ...

- (1) Kribensis (1990) *

Arkle Challenge Trophy The Arkle Challenge Trophy 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 Old Course at Cheltenham, England, over a dist ...

- (3) Waterloo Boy (1989), Remittance Man (1991), Ventana Canyon (1996) *

RSA Insurance Novices' Chase The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), chase in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged five years or older. It ...

- (2) Hanakham (1997), Florida Pearl (1998) *

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 f ...

- (2) Montelado (1992), Florida Pearl (1997) *

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 ...

- (2) Kribensis (1988), Paddy's Return (1996) *

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 o ...

- (1) Thetford Forest (1992) *

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 ...

- (2) Thumbs Up (1993), Barna Boy (1997) * Festival Trophy Handicap Chase - (2) West Tip (1985), Bigsun (1990) *

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a d ...

- (1) French Union (1987) *

Pertemps Final The Pertemps Final is a Grade Three 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 distance of about 3 ...

- (1) Von Trappe (1995)

Major wins

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 ...

* King George VI Chase - (4) Desert Orchid (1989,1990), One Man (1995,1996) *

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 ...

- (2) West Tip (1986),

(1994) *

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 ...

- (5) Lefrak City (1985), Waterloo Boy (1991, 1992), Sound Man (1995, 1996) * Henry VIII Novices' Chase - (3) Acre Hill (1990), Wonder Man (1992), Certainly Strong (1995) * Long Walk Hurdle - (2) Bluff Cove (1987), Princeful (1998) * Kauto Star Novices' Chase - (3) Von Trappe (1985), Sparkling Flame (1990), Mutare (1991) *

Christmas Hurdle The Christmas 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 Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres ...

- (3) Kribensis (1988,1989), Mighty Mogul (1992) *

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 ...

- (1) Tyrone Bridge (1991) *

Tolworth Novices' Hurdle The Tolworth 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 Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mi ...

- (1) Behrajan (1999) *

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 mil ...

- (1) Baydon Star (1994) * Ascot Chase - (1) Sound Man (1996) *

Betway Bowl The Betway Bowl 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 3 miles and 1 furlong (3 m ...

- (2) Aquilifer (1991), Docklands Express (1994) * Aintree Hurdle - (2) Celtic Chief (1988), Morley Street (1992) *

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) Carobee (1992) *

Mildmay Novices' Chase The Mildmay 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 Mildmay course at Aintree over a distance of about 3 ...

- (4) Against the Grain (1987), Sparkling Flame (1991), Banjo (1995), Cyborgo (1997) *

Melling Chase The Melling Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Marsh 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 Ain ...

- (1) Remittance Man (1992) *

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 ...

- (2) Cyborgo (1994), Sanmartino (1997) *

Liverpool Hurdle The Liverpool 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 Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and ½ furlong ...

- (2) Sweet Glow (1994), Trainglot (1997) ---- Ireland * Irish Gold Cup - (2) Dorans Pride (1998), Florida Pearl (1999) *

Irish Grand National The Irish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (5,834 ...

- (1) Desert Orchid (1990) * Ryanair Gold Cup - (1) Dorans Pride (1997) *

Punchestown Champion Chase The Punchestown Champion Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the William Hill Champion Chase, is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is r ...

- (2)

Viking Flagship Viking Flagship (1987–2000) was an Irish racehorse who began his racing career in October 1989 as a 2-year-old. He was first trained by his breeder, Eithne C Holdsworth, in Co. Kilkenny and then by Martin Pipe. He had 18 starts in Ireland wi ...

(1993), Celibate (1999) *

John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase The John Durkan Memorial Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland. It is run over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs {2 miles 4 furlongs and 40 yards, or 4,060 metres) at Punc ...

- (2) Merry Gale (1995), Dorans Pride (1997) *

Drinmore Novice Chase The Drinmore Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase 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 metr ...

- (1) Dorans Pride (1996) *

Racing Post Novice Chase The Racing Post Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland. The race is run at Leopardstown Racecourse in December, over a distance of 2 miles and 1 furlong (3,419 metres) and during its ...

- (1) Chirkpar (1993) *

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) Very Promising (1986), Johnny Setaside (1996) *

Slaney Novice Hurdle The Slaney Novice Hurdle, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle, is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run in January at Naas Racecourse, ov ...

- (1) Promalee (1998) * Dr P. J. Moriarty Novice Chase - (2) Flashing Steel (1993), Florida Pearl (1998) * Herald Champion Novice Hurdle - (3) High Plains (1987), The Proclamation (1989), Bayrouge (1993) *

Ryanair Novice Chase The Barberstown Castle 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 2 miles (3,219 metres), and dur ...

- (2)

(1993), Ventana Canyon (1996) * Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle - (1) Treble Bob (1995)

References

External links

Sunday Times article 20 December, 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunwoody, Richard 1964 births Living people British Champion jumps jockeys Sportspeople from Belfast Jockeys from Northern Ireland