Ruby Walsh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruby Walsh
Ruby Walsh, Cheltenham 2005
Occupation	Former jump jockey
Born	(1979-05-14) 14 May 1979 (age 46) Kill, County Kildare, Ireland
Career wins	2756
Racing awards
Irish National Hunt champion jockey in 1998/99, 2000/01, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 & 2016/17 Leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017 Recipient of the Horse Racing Ireland National Hunt award in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008 Recipient of the International Jockey of the Year Lester Award in 2007, 2008 & 2010
Significant horses
Big Buck's, Hurricane Fly, Kauto Star, Annie Power, Douvan, Commanche Court, Papillon, Vautour, Faugheen

Rupert "Ruby" Walsh (born 14 May 1979) is a famous Irish former jockey. He was known for riding in National Hunt races, which involve horses jumping over fences or hurdles. Many people think he is one of the best jump jockeys ever. He has won the third most races in British and Irish jump racing history. His father, Ted Walsh, was also a champion jockey.

Ruby's Amazing Career

Ruby Walsh showed great talent from a young age. He won the Irish amateur jockey title twice before becoming a professional.

Winning the Grand Nationals

Ruby made a big splash by winning the English Grand National in 2000. He was only 20 years old and it was his first time riding in the race! He rode a horse named Papillon, which his dad trained. That same year, he and his father also won the Irish Grand National with a horse called Commanche Court.

In the 2004/05 season, Ruby almost won all four major National races. He won the Irish, Welsh, and English Nationals. He came very close to winning the Scottish Grand National too, finishing second by a tiny bit. After another famous jockey, Tony McCoy, retired, Ruby was the only jockey still riding who had won all four of these big races.

Ruby has a fantastic record in the Grand National. He won it twice (in 2000 and 2005). He also finished second once, third once, and fourth twice.

Cheltenham Festival Success

Ruby Walsh rode over 2,500 winners in his career. A huge part of his success came at the Cheltenham Festival, a very important horse racing event. He won an incredible 59 races there! His first win at Cheltenham was in 1998.

He won the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, in 2007 and 2009, riding the famous horse Kauto Star. He also won the Queen Mother Champion Chase three times and the King George VI Chase five times, mostly on Kauto Star.

Ruby was the top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival eleven times. This shows how dominant he was at this major event. He even set a record in 2009 by winning seven races over the four days of the festival. He equaled that record in 2016. In 2010, he became the jockey with the most wins in the festival's history.

Champion Jockey Titles

Ruby was the Irish jump jockey champion twelve times. This is an amazing achievement! For over ten years, he had a special arrangement where he rode for two powerful stables. He mostly rode for Willie Mullins in Ireland. He also spent a lot of time riding in England for champion trainer Paul Nicholls. He also rode for his father and other Irish trainers.

In January 2007, Ruby became the fastest jockey to reach 100 winners in Irish jump racing history. He ended the 2006/07 season with 198 winners in Ireland and the UK, more than any other jockey that year. He rode his 1,000th Irish winner in May 2008.

Retirement from Racing

Ruby Walsh announced his retirement from racing on May 1, 2019. This was right after he rode Kemboy to victory in the Punchestown Gold Cup. It was his 213th Grade One win, a fantastic way to end his 24-year career.

Cheltenham Festival Wins (59)

Irish Jump Racing Wins

Great Britain Jump Racing Wins

Overcoming Injuries

Like many jockeys, Ruby Walsh had several injuries during his career. One of the most serious was a broken leg in 1999. He was out of action for five months. However, he recovered just in time to win his first Grand National on Papillon.

He also fractured his wrist twice and had other injuries like a dislocated hip and shoulder problems. In 2008, he had emergency surgery to remove his spleen after a fall. Amazingly, he was back riding only 27 days later!

Ruby showed incredible determination by returning to racing after each injury. He continued to win major races even after these setbacks.

Working with Trainers

In 2013, Ruby decided to spend more time in Ireland with his family. This meant he would no longer ride full-time for Paul Nicholls, a top trainer in England. However, they remained on good terms. Ruby still rode for Paul Nicholls sometimes, even winning races for him after their main partnership ended.

Ruby's Family Life

Ruby Walsh married Gillian Doran in July 2006. They have four daughters: Isabelle, Elsa, Gemma, and Erica.

• His sister, Katie Walsh, is also a very successful female jockey.
• His brother, Ted Walsh Junior, is married to another well-known female jockey, Nina Carberry.

Ruby on Television

Ruby Walsh has appeared on television shows. He was in a documentary called "Jump Boys," which followed his journey and other jockeys during a racing season. He also sometimes works as a racing expert for TV channels like RTÉ and Channel 4 Racing. He even appeared in some funny commercials for a betting company.