Winning the Grand National is the pinnacle of any jockey’s career. Even in retirement, when asked about their greatest victories, Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty, and AP McCoy all stated that winning the Grand National was their greatest achievement.
And it’s easy to see why. A notoriously difficult race to even complete, winning it instantly propels you into the history books.
Up to 2021 those history books are missing one vital record – a female winning jockey.
To date, despite the fact that race has been in action since the 1800s, only one woman has ever ridden the winner. That was Rachael Blackmore on Minella Times in 2021.
It may even surprise you to know that the first woman didn’t actually ride in the race until 1977.
That was Charlotte Brew on Barony Fort, a horse that refused to jump at the 27th fence. And even then it was The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 that made it possible for her to enter the race!
Since then there have been 17 female jockeys that have followed in her footsteps. Of those Rachael Blackmore, Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh are the most well-known know and both hold their own records in the race.
Walsh and Carberry have ridden in the race a record six times with Walsh the best finisher of the two. Seriously, who can forget her partnership with Seabass and his third-place finish in 2012?
She is also the only female jockey to have gone off as the race favourite. Both have now retired and the mantle has been passed to a new group of hopefuls.
Female Jockeys In The Grand National 2022
Three female jockeys, Rachael Blackmore, Brony Frost and Tabitha Worsley lined up hoping to make history last year. There was huge interest around them as the public cried out for a bit of history in the making.
And they got it. You can also bet on Australian horse racing but right now we’ll keep the focus on the female jockeys.
But despite her incredible performance, Rachael Blackmore returns as the only female jockey to ride in the Grand National 2022.
Rachael Blackmore
Booked on board Minella Times for trainer Henry De Bromhead and owner JP McManus, Blackmore is a bonafide history maker.
This will be her third National and given her recent form, she could very well break the ultimate glass ceiling on Saturday and win back-to-back Nationals.
Her six wins at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021, made her the first female jockey to win the Ruby Walsh Trophy for leading Cheltenham jockey.
She then added three more in 2022 including the much coveted Gold Cup.
She currently sits in fourth place in the Leading Jockey Championship in Ireland, behind Paul Townend, Mark Walsh and Darragh O’Keeffe.
Female Jockey Finishing Places
While Blackmore, Walsh and Carberry may be considered the most successful jockeys among their peers, there are other notable women on the list.
Jenny Hembrow was the first woman to ride in back-to-back Grand Nationals.
Venetia Williams not only rode in the 1988 Grand National but she also went on to train the winner in Mon Mome in 2009.
| YEAR: | JOCKEY | HORSE | FINISH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Rachael Blackmore (3) | Minella Times | Winner |
| 2021 | Tabitha Worsley | Sub Lieutenant | 14th |
| 2021 | Bryony Frost (2) | Yala Enki | Unseated |
| 2020 | CANCELLED | CANCELLED | CANCELLED |
| 2019 | Rachael Blackmore (2) | Valseur Lido | 10th |
| 2019 | Lizzie Kelly | Tea For Two | Pulled-Up |
| 2018 | Bryony Frost | Milansbar | 5th |
| 2018 | Katie Walsh (6) | Baie Des Iles | 12th |
| 2018 | Rachael Blackmore (1) | Alpha Des Obeaux | Fell |
| 2017 | Katie Walsh (5) | Wonderful Charm | 19th |
| 2016 | Nina Carberry (6) | Sir Des Champs | Unseated |
| 2016 | Katie Walsh (4) | Ballycasey | Unseated |
| 2015 | Nina Carberry (5) | First Lieutenant | 16th |
| 2014 | Katie Walsh (3) | Vesper Bell | 13th |
| 2013 | Katie Walsh (2) | Seabass | 13th |
| 2012 | Katie Walsh (1) | Seabass | 3rd |
| 2012 | Nina Carberry (4) | Organisedconfusion | Unseated |
| 2011 | Nina Carberry (3) | Character Building | 15th |
| 2010 | Nina Carberry (2) | Character Building | 7th |
| 2006 | Nina Carberry (1) | Forest Gunner | 9th |
| 2005 | Carrie Ford | Forest Gunner | 5th |
| 1994 | Rosemary Henderson | Fiddlers Pike | 5th |
| 1989 | Tarnya Davis | Numerate | Pulled-Up |
| 1988 | Venetia Williams | Marcolo | Fell |
| 1988 | Gee Armytage | Gee-A | Pulled-Up |
| 1988 | Penny Ffitch-Hayes | Hettinger | Fell |
| 1987 | Jacqui Oliver | Eamon’s Owen | Unseated |
| 1984 | Valerie Alder | Bush Guide | Fell |
| 1983 | Joy Carrier | King Spruce | Unseated |
| 1983 | Geraldine Rees (2) | Midday Welcome | Fell |
| 1982 | Geraldine Rees (1) | Cheers | 8th |
| 1982 | Charlotte Brew (2) | Martinstown | Unseated |
| 1981 | Linda Sheedy | Deiopea | Refused |
| 1980 | Jenny Hembrow (2) | Sandwilan | Refused |
| 1979 | Jenny Hembrow (1) | Sandwilan | Fell |
| 1977 | Charlotte Brew (1) | Barony Fort | Refused |
With a whole new group of young female jockeys making their mark on the sport, it is only a matter of time before another of them crosses the finishing line first again.
Female Winning Grand National Trainers
Given the thousands of horses that have run in the Grand National over the years, training a winner is as difficult as riding one.
Only three people have ever trained four winners. They are George Dockeray, Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain who trained the great Red Rum.
[av_video src=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38liDYYbBVI’ mobile_image=” attachment=” attachment_size=” format=’16-9′ width=’16’ height=’9′ conditional_play=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-8sc27′]
With regards to women who have trained Grand National winners, well there are only four of them!
- Jenny Pitman with Corbiere in 1983 and Royal Athlete in 1995
- Venetia Williams in 2009 with Mon Mome
- Sue Smith with Auroras Encore in 2013
- Lucinda Russell with One For Arthur in 2017
The list may be small but three of those women are still training and can easily win it again.
There are also other notable performances from the likes of Jessica Harrington who had the 2nd place finished in 2019 with Magic Of Light. Rebecca Curtis and Kerry Lee have saddled multiple entries.
For 2022, Lucinda Russell (Mighty Thunder), Emma Lavelle (De Rasher Counter and Eclair Surf), Polly Gundry (Santini) and Venetia Williams (Commodore – reserve 1) all look set to saddle Grand National Runners.
