Amazing life of a Cork jockey - straight from the horse’s mouth

He has won the Grand National twice, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, and been Irish champion jockey three times... and now Cork jockey Davy Russell is documenting his remarkable sports career in a book.

Published in association with horse racing writer Donn McClean, it is simply called My Autobiography, and relates the life and times of the former No.1 jockey at Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, who has now retired.

Edelle, Davy’s wife, knows her husband has many strings to his bow.

“I’m married to a champion dancer too,” says Edelle, referring to Davy’s successful stint on Dancing With The Stars, where he reached the semi-finals. “And now I’m married to an author!”

Even though the father-of-five has retired from the sport, there is no stop to his gallop.

“Davy always gives 100% and has a drive to succeed in whatever he takes on,” says Edelle, who unsurprisingly met her husband at a race meeting, the Galway Races.

Edelle is a fast mover herself.

“I wanted to sprint down the aisle when I married Davy!” she says.

Davy, always determined, has channelled the same adrenaline that drove his success on the racing track into this fascinating account of the life of one of Ireland’s greatest-ever jockeys.

Meeting him in his hometown of Youghal, when he returned with hero Tiger Roll for a lap of honour after the duo’s success in the Grand National, it was clear that Davy has the same love of his childhood home as he does for his family and for his professional career.

He inherited his love of sport and horses in particular from his dad, who owned a garage business and sold cars.

“Dad is a hurling man,” says Davy. “He had a love of racing too and he bred a few horses.

“As a kid, I loved going to local point-to-point meetings. I got my big break in 1999 from Pat O’Connor, who owned the horse Spanish Castle. Five days before the race I was in the schooling area, and I schooled the horse. Pat’s usual jockey was not available. He asked me to ride the horse, and we won!

“The race took place in Tallow, two fields away from where dad was born.

“Seven days later, I had another win, and 10 days later I had my first win on the racecourse.

“Then I was named Champion Novice Rider until the following year when I was named Senior Champion Rider.”

Davy’s career snowballed.

In a blistering opening chapter of his book, as well as conveying a vast amount of information about the art of racing a racing horses over jumps, Davy comes up with an observation about winning which applies to life as much as racing.

The chapter has him describing the first of his two consecutive Grand National wins on Tiger Roll, in 2018 and 2019. From the flag to the finish, you are on the horse with him over every breathtaking jump.

How did man and beast have such an affinity with each other, such affection, and such understanding, to sync together to make a winning team?

“When you ride a horse, a lot of it has to do with intuition,” says Davy.

“There is no verbal connection. It is all feel for the horse given to you. That is the only way I ever rode, without any prior plan before a race.

“Yes, I did my homework about conditions, the competition and weight, etc. But, furlong by furlong, fence by fence, I am the passenger.”

Tiger Roll was the enthusiast, doing what he did best.

“He was bred and trained to race; to love racing and jumping. He enjoys it. He enjoys the roar of the crowd.

“My job is to control that energy, to motivate the horse. To regulate the speed and to regulate slowing down when need be.

“There is a huge trust between the horse and me. The less I interfere, the easier it is for him. He has a mind of his own and we gel well together.”

Davy has a mind of his own too.

“After many successes on the race track, and being lauded as a national hero, I was like a spoilt child,” he reflects.

“I had the best time, and I had the best cars. I really enjoyed myself. I was living the life.”

But life wasn’t always an easy ride.

“The break from Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud was a pity and my fault,” admits Davy.

“He was adamant he wanted me to concentrate on his horses while I wanted to ride others. Weight too was an issue where he didn’t want me to ride below 10 stone 9lbs. So Michael changed his pilots, to pardon the pun!” Working with Gordon Elliot, his charity work with Hurling for Cancer Research, and his retirement, makes for riveting reading in the autobiography, and you want to delay making it to the finishing post.

Davy also discusses the devastating blows that he experienced through injury, and showcases his huge resilience and strength of character.

Was the Corkman’s ambition always to be a champion jockey?

“I never decided that I was going to try and make it as a professional jockey,” says Davy.

“I just loved horses, that’s all I ever really wanted to do. And all I ever thought about was the next horse; the next ride.”

Does Davy believe that the Gods were smiling on him as he and his intuitive horses galloped to victory over and over again?

“You don’t actually need to be lucky,” says Davy. “You just need not to be unlucky!”

He adds: “I owe so much to my wife. She might not know much about racing, but she knows me better than anyone else knows me.”

Edelle knows lots of things about her husband.

“He loved having the make-up and tan on doing Dancing With The Stars,” she says laughing.

Life in retirement is good for the 45-year-old Youghal man made good.

“Now I’m retired, I have a chance to spend more time with my children, Jaimee, Lily-Marie, Finn, Liam, and Tess, to be with them more,” he says.

Davy had the support from the ‘off’ to make good.

“My parents always supported me, giving me incredible backing from the start.”

After starting Davy Russell’s autobiography, you won’t want to put it down. Racing fan or not, the remarkable journey of one of the finest jockeys in the business will keep you entertained to the end.

Davy Russell: My Autobiography, with Donn McClean, €20 in all good bookshops.