5 best jockeys all time

Again due to the limited racing I looked back through the archives to find some of the best UK jockeys here's my list:

1) Frankie Dettori - has ridden some of the most well-known horses in the world including Enable, Stradivarius, Cracksman and Poet's Voice. One of the most famous flat jockeys despite his past problems. In 2019 he had a strike rate of 26% which is insanely successful. Dettori has had winners all around the world and ridden winners in more than 500 group races. An unforgettable moment was the magnificent seven in 1996.

2) A P McCoy- An incredible jump jockey he even has a horse named after him "Champ". His strike rate in his final year of riding in 2015 was 28%. He had 31 festival wins which is an unbelievable number. An unmatchable feat that he achieved was well over 4000 winners and 20 consecutive wins. These show why he is undeniably one of the best jump jockeys.

3) Kieren Fallon- After his slow start to his career and again he faced various issues surrounding his weight and substance abuse his career was somewhat fragmented. A few of the horses that he's ridden are Gabrial, Hoof It, Yeats and Footsteps In The Sand. Yet these troubles didn't stop him achieving a multiple time 1000 and 2000 guineas winners and 6-time champion jockey. But this is clearly a controversial especially because of his behaviour, personally, I think his achievements outweigh these.

4) Richard Johnson- The four-time champion jump jockey and over 3500 winners, these put him in a league of his own. Some of the most memorable horses he's ridden are Native River, Florida Pearl and Looks Like Trouble. He's said to be a little unlucky as he a ridden in the Grand National 21 times but has never ridden a winner in this.

5) Ruby Walsh- He is another widely famous retired jump jockey. His strike rate rarely dropped below 20%. The statistics that he produced were crazy including the leading jockey at Cheltenham Festival eleven times, Irish National Hunt jockey twelve times and won the English Grand National in 2000 at the first time of trying.

Another jockey from the time vault would be Lester Piggot. His success was groundbreaking and he largely revolutionised riding style. He rode nearly 4500 winners, champion jockey 11 times. In my opinion, the most amazing fact is he won his first race when he was 12 years old. He additionally had multiple big race wins with some of the horses like Sir Ivor, The Ministrel and Roberto.

Well, there's my top 5 what do you think? Give me some of your suggestions in the comments below!

Behind the scenes of racing: an interview with a travelling head girl

“It’s mental in the summer, you’re doing at least 20 hours a day, at least three days a week.”

Sabine Crowe (22 years old) is travelling head girl at Declan Carroll’s Malton based stable. She explains the daily challenges especially in the height of the season. “We normally start at five or six. If we have five runners here, there and everywhere we need more than one person to go racing.”

Often the stable staff have started at all hours in the morning so she can get the stables done and ride out before she goes racing.

Despite the hard physical and mental aspects of her job, Sabine loves it.

In the summer there’s no time to rest and like the other 6,000 people that racing employs she doesn’t have time to think until the season ends. She explains the everyday work, her love clear in the rapid nature of her voice, a Yorkshire accent creeping though.

“In the winter I have time to think OMG get me out of here. You’re literally out there 20 minutes each time getting drenched multiple times a day.” These mornings make the rows of stables seem dark and dreary with little shelter. “Even wearing waterproofs and jodhpurs aren’t enough.

“Today I got up about six, got ready and went to work for seven. We get in, get our tack and get started straight away.”

There are three horses immediately taken to the walker. Dec her boss tells Sabine what to ride and she starts riding out. If she doesn’t ride out a lot, she mucks out stables. Sabine normally rides out five lots of horses. The first part of her day finished by 12.30.

Sabine goes about all her tasks with a smile on her face and her long brown pony tail swaying as she does her work.

By the look of concentration on her face it’s a difficult question to answer what she would change. After a long pause a small smirk appears as she replied: “The outdoor ring covering. That would be amazing. The worst thing is, you can have all the waterproofs on in the world and you can go outside and get p****ed on and then you’re wet the for the rest of the day.”

This is the price Sabine pays for doing the job she adores.

Finally, for her last task of the day she returns to the yard about half past four for the evening feed and feels lucky if that’s finished by half five. This rushing is a normal part of her life.

Sabine shows me the photos of the winners she’s led up that adorn the walls of her room. The passion and pride for her job that she’s been involved is filling her face and her blue eyes widening.

Despite the dedication to her job, it wasn’t always the plan to get involved in racing. As with many she started riding young about four or five but was doing a business apprenticeship at an office. “Funny story, Di (Declan Carroll’s wife) had Green Park up at the stables where I had my horse and she’d seen me ride and said if you can sit him you can easily sit on ours.”

And so, she did. First doing weekends while continuing the apprenticeship, working seven days a week. Three years ago, where she used to work let everyone go and she’s never looked back.

Last year alone she did 50,000 miles… yes 50! Her forehead crumples calculating it. She agrees: “I know it seems crazy but it’s only me that really drives the horsebox.”

With all this travelling Sabine’s had some amazing memories. She offers up two. There’s a soft smile on her face. “The best is … leading Justanotherbottle up when he was second in the Steward’s Cup just beaten a short head.

“The other one was Music winning at York because I do everything with him. I ride him, bring him up and it’s a surreal moment having a horse you do everything with winning at York. It’s a big thing.”

That day she admits bawling like a baby and in shock and overcome with emotion. Even talking about it now her eyes glisten.

But with these highs come the lows. The worst part of the job is the injuries and having to put horses down.

Her tone is sombre as she recalls the horses that have been loved and lost including the stable stars Santry and Crazy World. Her voice wavers. “It was horrible.”

However, Sabine has the support of the other staff and her boss Declan Carroll, who she considers one of the most influential people on her career.

“Dec’s quite inspirational although he is hard on you. He doesn’t hold a grudge and knows people mess up, and as much as you put in for him, he’ll put it back.”

Another influential person has been Carole Easton. She was travelling head lass for Tim Easterby for 30 years and now works in transporting. All this experience means Sabine has been able to learn from her.  

These people behind the scenes are vital to the sport.

“People think sitting on a horse is easy, the horse does it all. Driving everywhere is as easy as anything. But it takes a toll on you. The horses mean everything. Every horse has a soft spot in everyone’s hearts. No one ever wants to see a horse hurt. We don’t see them just as a business.”

Sabine leading in Music Seeker at York