Irish female jockey Rachel Blackmore has been a leading light at big race meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival for the last few years of her career.
She’s been at her best on the biggest stages, but this week, she announced her retirement from riding.
Stable jockey to Henry de Bromhead, she rode a total of 18 Cheltenham Festival winners, including wins in the biggest races at the meeting, which she will undoubtedly be remembered for.
But there was more to Rachel than just her talents, she shone in a sport still dominated by males, opening doors, creating conversations, and hopefully, inspiring female jockeys of the future as she broke the walls down.
There was no warning of this news. It came out of the blue when it was announced. She also confirmed that she would be retiring with immediate effect and having no further rides.
First Gold Cup Winning Female Rider
The year was 2022, and Blackmore was having a stellar Cheltenham Festival. But at the end of it, in the biggest race of the week, she delivered the goods once more, a huge ride to get A Plus Tard home to win the Gold Cup.
It was a moment that capped a wonderful week. She was in her prime, and in doing so, she became the first ever female jockey to win the Gold Cup, one of the biggest races on the calendar, either flat or jumps.
That would be her third win of the festival that year, as she continued to shine in the spotlight of racing’s biggest week.
First Female to Win the Champion Hurdle
A year earlier, she would break another Cheltenham record by becoming the first female to win the Champion Hurdle. She did this on board Honeysuckle, a wonder mare with whom she formed a great relationship. It was certainly a case of the girls coming out on top.
This was the first of the four major races that Blackmore took at the Cheltenham, and she would actually go on to win them all, the Gold Cup above in 2022, Champion Chase in 2024 and Stayers Hurdle in 2025.
Going back to 2021 and the Champion Hurdle, and this was one of her six wins that year, a figure that would be enough to land her the Cheltenham Top Jockey award, it’s no surprise, but again, she became the first female to do this.
Rachel would return 12 months later with Honeysuckle and win the Champion Hurdle again, recording back-to-back big race wins, and blowing the roof off Cheltenham in the process.
First Grand National Winning Female Jockey
We can’t leave out what Rachel did in the Grand National either, a victory that came in 2021, after her success at Cheltenham as top jockey, it was a whirlwind end to a marvellous season.
She would ride Minella Times to success in the Aintree Grand National, becoming the first female jockey to win the race, and as of now, the only woman to win the race.
Rachel Blackmore Career Highlights
Rounding off, here are some of the key numbers behind the success that Rachel had during her 16-year career.
- Winner of 575 races
- Winner of 18 races at the Cheltenham Festival
- Completed the Cheltenham Major Races (Champion Hurdle 2021, 2022, Champion Chase 2024, Stayers Hurdle 2025, Gold Cup 2022)
- First female Grand National winner 2021
- 2021 Awards – BBC World Sports Star of the Year, RTE Sports Person of the Year, The Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year
- 2023 Awards – MBE for services to sport