Rachael Blackmore facts for kids

Rachael Blackmore (born 11 July 1989) is a famous Irish former jockey. She rode horses in a type of racing called National Hunt racing. In 2021, she made history by becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National race. This race had been going on for 182 years!

Also in 2021, Rachael became the first woman to be the top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival. She won six races there, including the important Champion Hurdle. The next year, she won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, another first for a female jockey. Rachael stopped racing on 12 May 2025, after winning 575 races as a professional jockey.

Because of her amazing achievements, Rachael was named the 2021 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year. She also won the 2021 BBC World Sport Star of the Year.

Early life and education

Rachael Blackmore grew up on a dairy farm in Killenaule, County Tipperary, Ireland. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a farmer. She started riding ponies when she was only two years old.

As she grew up, Rachael took part in many horse activities. These included pony club meetings, hunting, and pony racing. She went to the University of Limerick and earned a degree in equine science. While studying, she also rode horses and competed as an amateur jockey.

Racing career highlights

Rachael Blackmore won her first race as an amateur jockey on 10 February 2011. She rode a horse named Stowaway Pearl at Thurles. She became a professional jockey in March 2015. Before that, she had won eleven point-to-point races and seven professional races as an amateur.

Her first win as a professional was on 3 September 2015, at Clonmel. She rode a horse called Most Honourable. In 2017, she became the first woman to win the conditional riders' championship in Ireland. This was a big step in her career.

First Grand National rides

Rachael had her first ride in the Grand National in 2018. Her horse, Alpha des Obeaux, fell during the race. In the 2019 Grand National, she finished in tenth place on a horse named Valseur Lido.

Cheltenham Festival success

Rachael won her first race at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019. She rode A Plus Tard to victory in the Chase Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase. She then won her first Grade 1 race with Minella Indo in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. Both horses were trained by Henry de Bromhead, for whom Rachael became a main jockey.

In 2021, Rachael made history at the Cheltenham Festival. She became the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle, riding her famous horse Honeysuckle. She also won six races over the four days of the festival. This made her the first female jockey to win the Ruby Walsh Trophy for being the top jockey there.

At the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, Rachael and Honeysuckle won the Champion Hurdle again. Then, Rachael became the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. She rode the favorite horse, A Plus Tard, to a big 15-length victory. In 2023, she rode Honeysuckle to win the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle for a second time. This was Honeysuckle's last race. Rachael had ridden Honeysuckle in all her races, including thirteen Grade 1 wins.

Rachael also won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2024 with Captain Guinness. In 2025, she won the Stayers' Hurdle with Bob Olinger. These wins meant she had won all the main races at the Cheltenham Festival.

Grand National victory

On 10 April 2021, Rachael Blackmore rode Minella Times to victory in the 2021 Grand National. This made her the first female jockey ever to win this famous race. Minella Times was the fourth favorite horse. He gave Rachael an amazing ride and finished 6½ lengths ahead of the second-place horse.

Due to rules at the time, there were no fans watching in person. After the race, Rachael said, "I don't feel male or female right now. I don't even feel human.... It's unbelievable." She rode Minella Times again in the 2022 race, but the horse fell. In 2023, she finished last of the horses that completed the race. She rode Minella Indo in 2024 and 2025, finishing third and ninth.

Retirement

Rachael Blackmore mostly rode in National Hunt races, which involve jumping. However, she also rode in flat races sometimes. She won twelve flat races during her career. Her most notable flat race win was in May 2024 at York.

On 12 May 2025, Rachael announced she was stopping her professional racing career. She wrote on social media: "My days of being a jockey have come to an end. I feel the time is right. I'm sad but I'm also incredibly grateful for what my life has been for the past 16 years. I just feel so lucky to have been legged up on the horses I have, and to have experienced success I never even dreamt could be possible." Her very last race was two days earlier, where she won on Ma Belle Etoile. This was her 575th win as a professional jockey.

Personal life

As of April 2025, Rachael Blackmore is in a long-term relationship with fellow jockey Brian Hayes.

Awards and recognition

Rachael Blackmore received many awards for her achievements. On 17 December 2021, she was named The Irish Times' Ireland Sportswoman of the Year. In the same week, she was called the Irish Racing Hero by Horse Racing Ireland. She also won the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year award. On 19 December, she received the BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year.

In 2023, Rachael Blackmore was given an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award. This was for her great contributions to sport.

See also

In Spanish: Rachael Blackmore para niños