Agriculture minister pays tribute to jockey Rachael Blackmore
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has paid tribute to jockey, Rachael Blackmore, who announced her retirement from riding race horses yesterday (Monday May 13), after an astounding career.
Blackmore grew up on a dairy farm in Co. Tipperary and her long association with the stable of trainer Henry de Bromhead proved an outstanding success.
Among her many career highlights in the saddle was when she won the Aintree Grand National in 2021 - the first female jockey ever to do so.
Minister Heydon said: "I want to pay tribute to one of the greats of national hunt racing Rachael Blackmore on the announcement of her retirement from what has been a glittering career.
"The list of achievements including her famous success in the 2021 Aintree Grand National ensure Rachael’s place in history.
"We’ll never forget her magnificent win on Minella Times in the world’s most famous steeplechase as well as has seeing her claim the Cheltenham Gold Cup, one of 18 Cheltenham festival victories.
"Taking the leading jockey accolade in Cheltenham five years ago was yet another milestone she achieved," Heydon added.
The agriculture minister added that Rachael’s legacy was not just in race wins, but as a role model for a whole generation of jockeys, both female and male.
"In a sport where men and women complete on a level playing she excelled and is a fantastic ambassador for the horse racing and breeding industry," the minister continued.
"Her singular dedication brought her from ponies, to the point to point world, to Shark Hanlon’s yard where she rode her first winner and became Champion Conditional rider, which then led onto Henry de Bromhead’s stables where she achieved so much in Ireland and beyond.
"I would like to thank Rachael for all of the joy that she brought to so many, for representing all that is good in the Irish horse racing and breeding industry and congratulate her on being one of Ireland’s greatest ever sports stars and horse racing ambassadors."
The minister has wished Rachael well in her future endeavours and said he is confident that whatever she turns her hand to, she will continue to be successful.
