Ruby Walsh won the Grand National aboard Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005, partnered some of the greatest jump horses of the modern era and built a record that few jockeys are ever likely to match.
Since retiring in 2019, he has become one of horse racing’s most respected broadcasters, offering insight and analysis to millions of viewers.
Now, Walsh has begun another chapter in a career that has already seen him reach the very top of the sport.
Rather than riding winners or analysing races, he is now helping jockeys build successful careers away from the track as one of the founders of Complete Sports Management (CSM), a new agency created specifically to support professional riders.
A different challenge after retirement
Stepping away from the weighing room is never easy for any jockey.
For some, the move into broadcasting, training or bloodstock provides a natural next step. For others, retirement can arrive unexpectedly through injury or a lack of opportunities.
Walsh made the transition smoothly after ending his riding career following victory in the Punchestown Gold Cup aboard Kemboy in 2019. His race analysis quickly made him one of the most recognisable voices in the sport, but his latest venture suggests he has been thinking about the wider challenges facing jockeys for some time.
Complete Sports Management officially launched in May 2026 and already has around 40 jockeys signed up.
Rather than acting as a traditional sports agency, it has been designed to provide a complete support network covering sponsorship, public relations, financial planning, tax, accountancy and commercial partnerships.
A problem Walsh knows only too well
Few people understand the pressures of being a professional jockey better than Walsh.
During a remarkable 24-year riding career he rode 2,767 winners across Ireland and Britain. He won the Grand National aboard Papillon, claimed two Cheltenham Gold Cups with Kauto Star and finished as leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival on 11 occasions.
Success on the racecourse, however, is only one part of a modern jockey’s career.
Today’s riders are expected to manage sponsorship opportunities, media appearances, social media profiles and financial responsibilities while continuing to compete at the highest level.
It is those demands that CSM hopes to simplify.
As Walsh explained at the launch:
“Horse racing offers brands authenticity and huge opportunities with national and international visibility, but it needs to be done properly and professionally. Complete Sports Management acts as the bridge between ambitious brands and Irish jockeys. We create partnerships that are aligned, strategic and mutually beneficial.”
Building a team with first-hand experience
Walsh is not taking on the project alone.
Joining him are fellow former jockeys Fran Berry and Emmet McNamara, along with chartered accountant and Managing Director JP Wynne.
It is a team built around experience from both inside and outside the weighing room.
Berry enjoyed a successful riding career on both the Flat and over jumps before injury brought it to an end in 2019. Since then, he has become a familiar face on Racing TV and ITV Racing.
McNamara is remembered by many racing fans for his memorable victory aboard Serpentine in the 2020 Derby at Epsom.
Alongside his racing career, he completed a first-class honours degree in accounting and finance before working with JP Wynne at SportsTax in Clonmel. In June 2026 he was also appointed interim executive secretary of the Irish Jockeys Association.
Together, the four founders bring experience from racing, broadcasting, finance and athlete representation.
Helping jockeys focus on riding
The thinking behind Complete Sports Management is straightforward.
Professional jockeys already spend countless hours travelling, maintaining fitness, studying races and riding work at home. Adding commercial negotiations, sponsorship discussions, tax returns and financial planning on top of that creates another layer of pressure.
CSM aims to remove much of that workload by bringing everything together under one roof.
The agency offers support with sponsorship negotiations, media work, public relations, financial planning, tax, accountancy, travel logistics and commercial partnerships, allowing riders to concentrate on their performances on the racecourse.
McNamara summed up the changing role of the modern jockey with one simple comment.
“Gone are the days of sorting out your tax return on the way to the races; the job is tough enough.”
It is a line that captures exactly why the agency has been created.
A sign of where racing is heading
The launch of Complete Sports Management also reflects how the role of a jockey has changed.
Modern riders are no longer judged solely on what happens between the starting stalls and the winning post. Television exposure, social media and growing commercial interest mean many jockeys have become public figures as well as elite athletes.
That creates opportunities, but it also creates responsibilities.
CSM hopes to ensure riders can make the most of those opportunities without allowing the business side of the sport to distract from their performances.
Another legacy for Ruby Walsh
Ruby Walsh’s place in racing history was secured long before Complete Sports Management was launched.
His achievements in the saddle have earned him a lasting reputation as one of the greatest jump jockeys the sport has produced.
This latest venture, however, could prove just as influential in a different way.
If Complete Sports Management succeeds in giving jockeys the professional support its founders believe they deserve, Walsh’s impact on racing may extend well beyond the winners he rode.
For a man who has spent his life helping horses cross the finishing line first, his next challenge is making sure the people in the saddle have every chance of succeeding both during their careers and long after they leave the weighing room behind
