Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and Britain, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners and was Champion Jockey a record 20 consecutive times, every year that he was a professional. McCoy recorded his first winner in 1992 at age 17. On 7 November 2013 he rode his 4,000th winner. In his first season riding in Britain, as an apprentice for trainer

Toby Balding Gerald Barnard Balding Jr. OBE (23 September 1936 – 25 September 2014), known as Toby Balding, was a British racehorse trainer, one of the few to have won the "big three" British jump races—the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and C ...

, McCoy won the Conditional Jump Jockeys Title with a record 74 winners. McCoy claimed his first Champion Jockey title in 1995/96 and retained until his retirement in 2015. McCoy has won almost every major horse race on the British and Irish jumps circuit. His most high-profile winners include the

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...

Queen Mother Champion Chase The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the ...

King George VI Chase The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a dis ...

and the

2010 Grand National The 2010 Grand National (officially known as the John Smith's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 163rd renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 10 April 2010. The main race w ...

. He was named

BBC Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just a single award of the same name. Several new awards have been introduced, and cu ...

in 2010, becoming the first jockey to win the award. In December 2013 he was named

RTÉ Sports Person of the Year The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Award is the titular award of the RTÉ Sports Awards ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the Irish sportsperson (from the island of Ireland) judged to have achieved the most that year. The ...

. He was knighted in January 2016.

Career

McCoy rode his first winner of his career on the

Jim Bolger James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was born in Ōpunake, Taranaki, to Irish immigrants. Bef ...

trained Legal Steps, in a flat race at

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles. The cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Arch ...

racecourse in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, on 26 March 1992 at the age of 17. McCoy served as an apprentice at Jim Bolger's stable for the initial part of his career. Whilst riding work for Bolger one morning, McCoy suffered a nasty fall and broke his leg on the gallops. By the time McCoy recovered from his leg break, he had continued to grow taller and as a result it was decided that the best option was to become a jump jockey. Success in Ireland soon led to a move across the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...

, and he began riding in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1994. His first win in England came at

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

on 7 September 1994 riding the Gordon Edwards trained Chickabiddy to a length victory. In his first season in England, McCoy served as a conditional jockey for successful trainer

, which culminated in winning the Conditional Jump Jockeys Title in 1995. The following season he became champion jockey for the first time. McCoy had burst on the scene as a result of his first season riding in Britain and soon attracted the attention of leading trainer

Martin Pipe Martin Charles Pipe (born 29 May 1945), is an English former racehorse trainer credited with professionalising the British racehorse training industry, and as of 2021 the most successful trainer in British jump racing. The son of a West Coun ...

and, then, upcoming Paul Nicholls. McCoy joined forces with powerful trainer Martin Pipe in 1997 and between them they proved to be an exceptionally strong partnership which dominated the sport. By the end of the decade McCoy had set a new

National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...

record for winners in a season (253), equaled the record of five winners at the 1998 Cheltenham Festival, and became the fastest jockey to reach the 100 winner mark in a season in 2001. He went on to beat the long-standing record of Gordon Richards for the total number of winners ridden in a season, which stood since 1947. McCoy has said he counts this as his biggest achievement, despite his multiple Champion Jockey titles and big race victories. He beat Richards' record of 269 winners in a season on Valfonic at

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

on 2 April 2002. He achieved a new high of 289 winners, and on 27 August 2002, at

Uttoxeter Uttoxeter ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in the East Staffordshire borough of Staffordshire, England. It is near to the Derbyshire county border. The town is from Burton upon Trent via the A50 and the A38, from Stafford via the A51 ...

, his victory on Mighty Montefalco meant he had surpassed

Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE (born 18 January 1964) is a retired British National Hunt jockey. He was a three-time British Champion Jockey. He was the only jockey of his generation to win the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hu ...

's all time jumps record and was now the leading jumps jockey. He became the first jump jockey to ride 2,500 winners when getting Kanpai up to score at

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver C ...

on 3 October 2006. McCoy rode his 3000th winner at Plumpton on the Nicky Henderson trained Restless D'Artaix in the Tyser & Co Beginners' Chase on 9 February 2009. In spite of wins in the biggest races on the jumps racing calendar, including the

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...

, and

King George VI Chase The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a dis ...

, it was the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England. First run in 1839, it ...

which had eluded McCoy. The nearest he had in the National were three third-place finishes, in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

aboard

's Blowing Wind, and in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

on Jonjo O'Neill's 5-1 joint favourite, Clan Royal, who in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

was still travelling well when they were hampered and taken out of the race by a loose horse at

Becher's Brook Becher's Brook ( ) is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt Horse racing, horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the and fence, as well as on four othe ...

on the second circuit. McCoy won the Grand National at the fifteenth attempt, on 10 April 2010 aboard

Don't Push It Don't Push It (foaled 6 June 2000) is a retired British thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grand National in 2010. He was trained by Jonjo O'Neill at Jackdaws Castle yard near Cheltenham and ran in the green and yellow silks of owner J. P. Mc ...

, trained by Jonjo O'Neill and owned by

J. P. McManus John Patrick McManus (born 10 March 1951) is an Irish businessman and racehorse owner. He was a major shareholder of Manchester United until his stake was bought out by Malcolm Glazer in 2005. Early life McManus was born in Limerick, Ireland, ...

. In 2012, McCoy won his second Cheltenham Gold Cup on Synchronised, trained by Jonjo O'Neill and owned by JP McManus, 15 years after his first Gold Cup win on Mr Mulligan. McCoy's winning ride on Synchronised typified his career as a jockey. Synchronised appeared outpaced during the first half of the extended 3 mile contest, however, Synchronised stayed on powerfully up the famous Cheltenham hill to pass both former winner

Long Run In economics, the long-run is a theoretical concept in which all markets are in equilibrium, and all prices and quantities have fully adjusted and are in equilibrium. The long-run contrasts with the short-run, in which there are some constraints a ...

and The Giant Bolster to land blue riband event at the

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Race ...

. During the 2012 Grand National, McCoy's mount Synchronised fell at

, the sixth fence on the first circuit. The horse suffered soft-tissue damage, but did not appear to have sustained serious injury. However, Synchronised continued running riderless, until attempting to jump the 11th fence where he fell and incurred a fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right-hind leg, which resulted in him being put down. McCoy made a delayed start to the 2013/2014 National Hunt season after breaking his ribs from a heavy fall on the Nicky Henderson trained Quantitativeeasing in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham's end of season April meeting. McCoy, who spent seven nights in hospital, returned to action a month later at

Ludlow Ludlow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road (Great Britain), A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the conf ...

and immediately opened his account for the season on the JP McManus owned horse Church Field. He surpassed the 100 winner mark for the 2013/2014 season after riding a remarkable 5-timer at Carlisle racecourse in October, closely followed by 5 winners over the two-day Aintree October meeting. McCoy sealed his 4000th career win riding the Jonjo O'Neill trained Mountain Tunes, in the colours of owner JP McManus, to a hard-fought victory in the Weatherbys Novices' Hurdle at

Towcester Towcester ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. From 1974 to 2021, it was the administrative centre of the South Northamptonshire district. Towcester is on ...

on 7 November 2013. His mount, Mountain Tunes, looked to have little chance with two hurdles to jump yet McCoy managed to get up in the final strides to beat

Kris Spin The kris or is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight ...

ridden by Jamie Moore. On 30 November 2013, Tony McCoy had the choice to ride at Newbury, or

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

. McCoy rode My Tent Or Yours to victory in the Grade One

Fighting Fifth Hurdle The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years or older. It is r ...

at Newcastle, which eventually turned out to be a good decision as on the same day,

At Fishers Cross AT or at may refer to: Geography Austria * Austria (ISO 2-letter country code) * .at, Internet country code top-level domain United States * Atchison County, Kansas (county code) * The Appalachian Trail (A.T.), a 2,180+ mile long mountainou ...

flopped in the

Long Walk Hurdle The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 3 miles and half a furlon ...

at Newbury. McCoy reached the 150 winners landmark for the 2013/2014 season after riding a double at

Ffos Las racecourse The Ffos Las racecourse (''strictly'': Ffos Las Racecourse & Conference Centre) is a Welsh horse racing, equestrian sports and conferencing venue situated in Ffos Las, Wales. The Ffos Las racecourse was built at the site of an open cast coal m ...

on 16 December 2013. This was the 18th time, out of the 20 seasons riding in Britain, he has surpassed 150 winners for a season. At the end of the 2013/14 season, McCoy was crowned Champion jockey for the 19th consecutive time, further extending his record of title wins. On 10 June 2014, McCoy recorded his fastest ever half century of winners for a season after riding the

Rebecca Curtis Rebecca Curtis (born January 10, 1974) is an American writer. She is the author of ''Twenty Grand and Other Tales of Love & Money'' (HarperCollins, 2007) and has been published in The New Yorker, Harper's, McSweeney's, NOON, N+1, and other mag ...

trained Bob Keown to victory at

Worcester Racecourse Worcester Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in the city of Worcester, Worcestershire, England.'' British Racing and Racecourses'' () by Marion Rose Halpenny - Page 247 Horse racing has taken place here since at least 1718 ...

. McCoy achieved the 50 winner mark for the 2014/15 National Hunt season, which started on 27 April 2014, in just 44 days. On 19 July 2014, McCoy reached a significant personal milestone by surpassing the total of 4,191 winners which friend and mentor

achieved as a licensed trainer before retirement in 2006. McCoy recorded winner number 4,192 by guiding the Jonjo O'Neill trained

It's A Gimme English auxiliary verbs are a small set of English verbs, which include the English modal auxiliary verbs and a few others. Although the auxiliary verbs of English are widely believed to lack inherent semantic meaning and instead to modify the m ...

to victory in the Betfred Summer Plate Listed Handicap Chase at

Market Rasen Racecourse Market Rasen Racecourse is a National Hunt racecourse in the town of Market Rasen, in Lincolnshire, England. It is owned and operated by Jockey Club, Jockey Club Racecourses. Racing initially began at Market Rasen in the early 1800s, however fo ...

. McCoy enjoyed a long period of success as stable jockey to the 15 time Champion Trainer Martin Pipe. McCoy broke his own record for the fastest ever century of winners for a National Hunt season, recording his 100th winner of the 2014/15 campaign on board the John Ferguson trained Arabic History at

Newton Abbot Racecourse Newton Abbot Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located on the north bank of the River Teign in the parishes of Kingsteignton and Teigngrace just north of Newton Abbot, Devon, England. The course is a tight, flat left-handed oval ...

on 21 August 2014, 116 days into the season. McCoy's previous record, set during the 2001/2002 season, stood at 100 winners by 4 September, approximately 130 days into the season. McCoy announced live on Channel 4 after his win on Mr Mole in the Game Spirit Chase that he would retire at the end of the 2014/15 NH Season. It was his 200th win of the season, the ninth occasion on which he had reached that landmark, and he later clarified that it would be his last such achievement. His last ride as a professional was at the

Bet365 Gold Cup The Bet365 Gold Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 3 miles ...

meeting at Sandown in April 2015.

Trainer relationships and colours

McCoy was

retained In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a retained firefighter, also known as an RDS firefighter or on-call firefighter, is a firefighter who does not work on a fire station full-time but is paid to spend long periods of time on call to respond to eme ...

by Irish racehorse owner,

and therefore rode all of his horses in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and occasionally

. McCoy joined forces with McManus in 2004 after reportedly being offered a £1 million a year retainer. McCoy had previously spent seven years as

's first jockey and many within racing were surprised of his decision to split from the successful Pipe stable. He has won a further 10 jockey titles since their separation. McManus has the majority of his horses in training with ex-jockey Jonjo O'Neill who trains at the state-of-the-art training facility "Jackdaws Castle" in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, which is owned by McManus. McCoy often rode horses trained by Jonjo O'Neill in addition to those owned by McManus. When he was not required to ride for McManus or O'Neill, McCoy had struck up a number of links with leading national hunt trainers. He rode a number of horses for Welsh-based trainer Rebecca Curtis. He also linked up with powerful trainer

Nicky Henderson Nicholas John Henderson (born 10 December 1950) is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer six times. Background His father was Johnny Henderson who was one of the founders of the Racecourse Holdings Tr ...

when his first jockey

Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty (born 16 September 1979) is a retired Irish jockey. He is the second most successful jockey of all time at the Cheltenham Festival. Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997 and three years later he became the Irish Champ ...

was riding in Ireland. McCoy was most commonly associated with the green and gold hooped silks of McManus.

Sports Personality of the Year

McCoy was named 2010

and in doing so became the first jockey to win the award, polling ahead of darts player Phil Taylor and Olympic heptathlete

Jessica Ennis Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill (née Ennis; born 28 January 1986) is a British retired athlete who specialised in the heptathlon and 100 metres hurdles. As a competitor in heptathlon, she is the 2012 Olympic champion, a three-time world champion (2 ...

, who finished second and third place respectively. McCoy's win in the 2010

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England. First run in 1839, it ...

at his 15th attempt on board the Jonjo O'Neill trained

was seen to be the main contributing factor to his win. McCoy was made the bookmakers' favourite for the award after his Grand National victory, however there were concerns that those beyond the horse racing fraternity may not fully understand his incredible achievements in racing and subsequently decide to vote for other contenders from "mainstream" sports. He received 293,152 votes, which was more than former winners

Joe Calzaghe Joseph William Calzaghe ( ; born 23 March 1972) is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including unified and lineal titles at super-middleweight, and ...

(2007), Sir

Chris Hoy Sir Christopher Andrew Hoy (born 23 March 1976) is a former Track cycling, track cyclist and racing driver from Scotland who represented Great Britain at the Olympics, Great Britain at the Olympic Games, Olympic and World Championships and Scot ...

(2008) or

Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; born 29 November 1973) is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the best wingers in the history of footba ...

(2009). He made the final shortlist of ten for

2013 after surpassing the landmark total of 4000 career winners over jumps during the course of the 2013/2014 National Hunt racing season. McCoy finished in third place behind the winner

Andy Murray Sir Andrew Barron Murray (born 15 May 1987) is a British former professional tennis player and coach. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professio ...

and runner up

Leigh Halfpenny Stephen Leigh Halfpenny (born 22 December 1988) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback (rugby union), fullback or wing (rugby union), wing for Harlequin F.C., Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby, English Premiership. Halfpenny is ...

. He was named 2013 RTÉ Irish Sports Personality of the Year on 21 December 2013.

Personal life

McCoy was born in Moneyglass,

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

. He and his wife Chanelle have two children. He stands tall. He had to waste to achieve low racing weights of when his natural weight was about 75 kg (one and a half stone more). McCoy has released five volumes of his autobiography; ''Real McCoy: My Life So Far'' (1999), ''McCoy'' (2003), ''A.P. McCoy: My Autobiography'' (2011) and ''Winner: My Racing Life'' (2015). His debut novel, ''Taking the Fall'', was published in 2013. His final season was the subject of a film, ''Being AP'', which was launched in November 2015. McCoy is an

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

fan. As a friend of former Arsenal player

Ray Parlour Raymond Parlour (born 7 March 1973) is an English former professional footballer and sports radio pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and Talksport. He was a midfielder from 1992 to 2007, and spent his career playing for Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Hull ...

, he played a part in the naming of a racehorse ''The Romford Pele'', in reference to Parlour's nickname during his playing days. He also has friendships with other footballers, including former Liverpool duo

Steve McManaman Steven McManaman (born 11 February 1972) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. He is one of the most decorated English footballers to have played for a club abroad, with the UEFA website stating in 2012 that "of al ...

and

Robbie Fowler Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an English football coach and former player. He most recently managed Saudi First Division League side Al-Qadsiah. As a player, he was a striker, and is the ninth-highest goalscorer in the histor ...

, who engaged him and Martin Pipe for

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

. In October 2013, McCoy joined BBC Radio 5 Live as a racing pundit every Friday evening on the " 5 Live Sport" programme hosted by Dan Walker. In November 2015, following his retirement as a jockey, he joined

Channel 4 Racing ''Channel 4 Racing'' is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television stations Channel 4 and More4. History The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek cov ...

as a pundit. In 2017, his wife, Chanelle McCoy was unveiled as the new dragon in RTE's Dragons' Den, replacing former dragon Eamonn Quinn."

Honours

Champion Jockey: 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015 Champion Conditional Jockey: 1994/95

Lester Award A Lester Award is one of a range of awards given to jockeys at an annual ceremony in Great Britain. The awards are named in honour of Lester Piggott, an eleven-time British flat racing Champion Jockey who won thirty British Classic Races from 1954 ...

s: McCoy has been honoured with 20 Lester Awards during his riding career to date, the most of any jockey past or present. *Conditional Jockey of the Year: 1995 *Jump Jockey of the Year: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 *Jockey of the Year: 1997 ''(award discontinued after 1997)'' *Jump Ride of the Year: 2009 (for the winning ride on Wichita Lineman in the William Hill Trophy at the

on 10 March 2009), 2012 (for the winning ride on Synchronised in the

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

at the

on 16 March 2012) McCoy was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the 2003 Birthday Honours and

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the

2010 Birthday Honours The 2010 Birthday Honours for the Commonwealth realms were announced to celebrate the Queen's Birthday on 7 June 2010 in New Zealand, on 12 June 2010 in the United Kingdom, The Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Sai ...

for his services to horse racing. In December 2010, McCoy was named Sportsman of the Year at the British Sports Awards in London, voted for by the

Sports Journalists' Association The Sports Journalists' Association (SJA) is an association for British sports journalists. It represents the British sports media on the British Olympic Association's press advisory committee and acts as a consultant to organizers of major eve ...

. In 2010, McCoy won the 'Jump off the Sofa Moment' Award at the Jaguar Academy of Sport Annual Awards ceremony for his Grand National win. In December 2013, McCoy was officially awarded three

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

. He was presented with certificates to mark his record of 289 jump wins in the 2001/2002 season, the most Champion Jump Jockey titles (18) and the most career jump winners, 4022 as of 4 December 2013.

Knighthood

McCoy was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in the

2016 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2016 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

for services to horse racing.

Major Wins

Cheltenham Festival (31) * Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (3): ''Black Jack Ketchum'' (2006), ''Wichita Lineman'' (2007), ''At Fishers Cross'' (2013) *

Arkle Challenge Trophy The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham, England, over a ...

(3): ''Or Royal'' (1997), ''Champleve'' (1998), ''Well Chief'' (2004) * Byrne Group Plate (1): ''Majadou'' (1999) *

Cathcart Challenge Cup The Cathcart Challenge Cup was a Grade 2 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), chase in Great Britain which was open to horses aged five years or older. It was run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham ...

(2): ''Cyfor Malta'' (1998), ''Royal Auclair'' (2002) *

Champion Bumper The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to racing horses aged four to six years. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 m ...

(1): ''Liberman'' (2003) *

Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...

(3): ''

Make A Stand Make A Stand (21 March 1991 – 22 November 2019) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from 1993 to 2000, he ran thirty times, both on the flat and over hurdles, and won twelve races. His greatest success came in the 19 ...

'' (1997), ''

Brave Inca Brave Inca (foaled 20 April 1998) is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from March 2002 until April 2009, he ran thirty-five times and won 15 races, ten of them at List of Irish National Hunt races, Grade I level. i ...

'' (2006), ''

Binocular Binocular may refer to: Science and technology * Binocular vision, seeing with two eyes * Binoculars, a telescopic tool * Binocular microscope, binocular viewing of objects through a single objective lens Other uses * Binocular (horse), a thoroug ...

'' (2010) *

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

(2): '' Mr Mulligan'' (1997), '' Synchronised'' (2012) * County Hurdle (2): ''Blowing Wind'' (1998), ''Alderwood'' (2012) *

Festival Trophy Handicap Chase The Festival Trophy is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of ...

(1): ''Wichita Lineman'' (2009) * JLT Novices' Chase (2): ''Noble Prince'' (2011), ''Taquin Du Seuil'' (2014) *

Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase The Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase, known for sponsorship purposes as the Paddy's Reward Club Novices' Handicap Chase, is a Listed National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years ...

(1): ''Reveillez'' (2006) *

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Chelte ...

(3): ''Kibreet'' (1996), ''Edredon Bleu'' (1998), ''Alderwood'' (2013) *

Pertemps Final The Pertemps Network Final is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a dis ...

(1): ''Unsinkable Boxer'' (1998) *

(1): ''Edredon Bleu'' (2000) *

RSA Chase The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), chase in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged five years or older. ...

(1): ''Albertas Run'' (2008) *

Ryanair Chase The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs ...

(3): ''Albertas Run'' (2010, 2011), ''Uxizandre'' (2015) *

Supreme Novices' Hurdle The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance o ...

(1): ''Hors La Loi III'' (1999) Major Nationals *

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England. First run in 1839, it ...

(1): ''

'' (2010) *

Irish Grand National The Irish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (5, ...

(1): ''Butler's Cabin'' (2007) * Midlands Grand National (1): ''Synchronised'' (2010) *

Scottish Grand National The Scottish Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of ab ...

(1): ''Belmont King'' (1997) *

Welsh National The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of ...

(1): ''Synchronised'' (2010) Other Notable Races

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

Aintree Hurdle The Aintree Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs ( ...

(2): ''Pridwell'' (1998), ''Jezki'' (2015) * Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle (3): ''Zabadi'' (1996), ''Hors La Loi III'' (1999), ''Binocular'' (2008) *

Ascot Chase The Ascot Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs (2 miles, 5 fur ...

(2): ''Tresor de Mai'' (2002), ''Tiutchev'' (2003) *

(2): ''Bounce Back'' (2002), ''Hennessy'' (2009) * Betfred Bowl (2): ''Tiutchev'' (2004), ''Exotic Dancer'' (2007) *

Celebration Chase The Celebration Chase is a Grade One National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs (1 mile, 7 ...

(3): ''Edredon Bleu'' (2001), ''Seebald'' (2003), ''French Opera'' (2011) *

Challow Novices' Hurdle The Challow Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Newbury over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs ...

(6): ''Classified'' (2001), ''Coolnagorna'' (2002), ''Wichita Lineman'' (2006), ''Backspin'' (2010), ''Taquin Du Seuil'' (2012), ''Captain Cutter'' (2013) *

Champion Four Year Old Hurdle The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its ...

(1): ''Shaunies Lady'' (1996) *

Christmas Hurdle The Christmas Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 m ...

(5): ''Straw Bear'' (2006), ''Binocular'' (2010, 2011), ''Darlan'' (2012), ''My Tent Or Yours'' (2013) *

Feltham Novices' Chase The Kauto Star Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metr ...

(3): ''Gloria Victis'' (1999), ''Maximize'' (2001), ''Darkness'' (2005) *

(2): ''Straw Bear'' (2006), ''My Tent Or Yours'' (2013) * Finale Juvenile Hurdle (2): ''Rainwatch'' (1997), ''Phar Bleu'' (2004) *

Henry VIII Novices' Chase The Henry VIII Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles ...

(3): ''Direct Route'' (1997), ''Dines'' (1998), ''Somersby'' (2009) * International Hurdle (2): ''Valiramix'' (2001), ''Binocular'' (2008) *

King George VI Chase The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a dis ...

(1): ''

Best Mate Best Mate (28 January 1995 – 1 November 2005) was an Irish-bred, English-trained racehorse and three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was a popular horse, and his sudden death while racing made front-page news. Background Best ...

'' (2002) *

Lexus Chase The Savills Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and ...

(2): ''Exotic Dancer'' (2008), ''Synchronised'' (2011) *

Liverpool Hurdle The Liverpool Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years or older. It is run a ...

(2): ''Galant Moss'' (1999), ''Deano's Beeno'' (2003) *

(3): ''Deano's Beeno'' (2002), ''Big Buck's'' (2010, 2011) *

Maghull Novices' Chase The Maghull Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run a ...

(2): ''Well Chief'' (2004), ''Foreman'' (2006) *

Manifesto Novices' Chase The Manifesto Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (2 miles, 3 fur ...

(1): ''Uxizandre'' (2014) *

Melling Chase The Melling Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 m ...

(3): ''Viking Flagship'' (1996), ''Albertas Run'' (2010), ''Don Cossack'' (2015) * Mersey Novices' Hurdle (2): ''Classified'' (2002), ''Lac Fontana'' (2014) *

Mildmay Novices' Chase The Mildmay Novices' Chase is a Grade One National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the ...

(3): ''Boss Doyle'' (1998), ''Like-a-Butterfly'' (2005), ''Holywell'' (2014) *

Paddy Power Gold Cup The Paddy Power Gold Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), chase in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years or old ...

(4): ''Cyfor Malta'' (1998), ''Lady Cricket'' (2000), '' Shooting Light'' (2001), ''Exotic Dancer'' (2007) *

Scilly Isles Novices' Chase The Scilly Isles Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain, which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of around two mi ...

(3): ''Upgrade'' (2000), ''Tarxien'' (2003), ''Napolitain'' (2006) *

Sefton Novices' Hurdle The Sefton Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and hal ...

(3): ''Unsinkable Boxer'' (1998), ''Black Jack Ketchum'' (2006), ''At Fishers Cross'' (2013) *

Tingle Creek Chase The Tingle Creek Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (1 ...

(1): ''Master Minded'' (2008) * Tolworth Hurdle (2): ''Iznogoud'' (2001), ''Royal Boy'' (2014) * Victor Chandler Chase (2): ''Nordance Prince'' (2000), ''

Master Minded Master Minded (foaled April 14, 2003) is a French bred National Hunt racehorse who was trained in Great Britain by Paul Nicholls. Early days in France Master Minded started his National Hunt career in France. He was initially trained by Gu ...

'' (2011) Ireland *

December Festival Hurdle The December Festival Hurdle, currently known by its sponsored title of the Matheson Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It i ...

(1): ''Brave Inca'' (2005) * Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle (4): ''His Song'' (1998), ''Jered'' (2008), ''Shot From The Hip'' (2011), ''Alderwood'' (2012) * Fort Leney Novice Chase (2): ''Boss Doyle'' (1997), ''Carlingford Lough'' (2013) *

Galway Hurdle The Galway Hurdle is a National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Galway over a distance of about 2 miles (2 miles and 11 yards, or 3,229 metres), ...

(2): ''Toast the Spreece'' (1997), ''Thomas Edison'' (2014) *

Galway Plate The Galway Plate is a National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Galway over a distance of about 2 miles and furlongs (2 miles 6 furlongs and 111 yard ...

(2): ''Finger Onthe Pulse'' (2010), ''Carlingford Lough'' (2013) *

Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle The Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is for horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles and 6 furlongs ( ...

(2): ''Monifeth Man '' (2000), ''Washington Lad '' (2005) *

Growise Champion Novice Chase The Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 3 miles and ½ furl ...

(2): ''Kempes'' (2010), ''Carlingford Lough'' (2014) *

Hatton's Grace Hurdle The Hatton's Grace Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,02 ...

(2): ''Brave Inca'' (2006), ''Jezki'' (2013) *

Hennessy Gold Cup (Ireland) The Irish Gold Cup (Irish language, Irish: Corn Óir na hÉireann) is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Ireland which is open to Horse racin ...

(1): ''Carlingford Lough'' (2015) *

Irish Champion Hurdle The Irish Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and ...

(1): ''

'' (2006) *

Morgiana Hurdle The Morgiana Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Ireland which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years or older. It is run at Pun ...

(1): ''Brave Inca'' (2005) *

Powers Gold Cup The WillowWarm Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Ireland which is open to Horse racing, horses aged five years or older. It is run at ...

(3): ''Like-a-Butterfly'' (2005), ''Justified'' (2006), ''Gilgamboa'' (2015) *

Punchestown Champion Hurdle The Punchestown Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and duri ...

(2): ''Brave Inca'' (2005), ''Jezki'' (2014) *

Ryanair Novice Chase The Barberstown Castle Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), Steeplechase in Ireland which is open to Horse racing, horses aged five years or older. It is run at ...

(1): ''Captain Cee Bee'' (2010) *

World Series Hurdle The Champion Stayers Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during i ...

(2): ''Derrymoyle'' (1998), ''Refinement'' (2007) *

(1) : ''Shaunies Lady'' (1996)

Winning Milestones

*1,000th winner: ''Majadou'',

, 11 December 1999 *1,500th winner: ''Celtic Native'',

, 20 December 2001 *2,000th winner: ''Magical Bailiwick'',

Wincanton Wincanton ( or ) is a town and electoral ward in Somerset, southwest England. The town lies off the A303 road, a main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. In the 2021 census the civil parish had a populatio ...

, 17 January 2004 *2,500th winner: ''Kanpai'',

, 3 October 2006 *3,000th winner: ''Restless D'Artaix'', Plumpton, 9 February 2009 *4,000th winner: ''Mountain Tunes'',

, 7 November 2013

Total National Hunt Winners in Britain by Season

* 1994/95 74 * 1995/96 175 * 1996/97 190 * 1997/98 253 * 1998/99 186 * 1999/00 245 * 2000/01 191 * 2001/02 289 † * 2002/03 258 * 2003/04 209 * 2004/05 200 * 2005/06 178 * 2006/07 184 * 2007/08 140 * 2008/09 186 * 2009/10 195 * 2010/11 218 * 2011/12 199 * 2012/13 185 * 2013/14 218 * 2014/15 231 † A British Horse Racing record for most winners ridden in a season by a jockey (flat or jumps), beating Sir Gordon Richards' long-standing record of 269 winners set in 1947

Total National Hunt winners in Ireland by Season (144)

* 1993-94 3 * 1994-95 4 * 1995-96 7 * 1996-97 2 * 1997-98 8 * 1998-99 4 * 1999-00 7 * 2000-01 0 * 2001-02 1 * 2002-03 0 * 2003-04 0 * 2004-05 13 * 2005-06 22 * 2006-07 7 * 2007-08 8 * 2008-09 5 * 2009-10 6 * 2010-11 6 * 2011-12 12 * 2012-13 8 * 2013-14 11 * 2014-15 10

References

Reference groups

External links

Collected news and articles
at the ''Guardian''
Sporting Life Statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCoy, Tony 1974 births Living people BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners RTÉ Sports Person of the Year winners 20th-century autobiographers from Northern Ireland 21st-century autobiographers from Northern Ireland British Champion jumps jockeys Lester Award winners Male novelists from Northern Ireland Officers of the Order of the British Empire Equestrians from County Antrim Knights Bachelor Sportspeople awarded knighthoods Jockeys from Northern Ireland BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award recipients

Career

Trainer relationships and colours

Sports Personality of the Year

Personal life

Honours

Knighthood

Major Wins

Winning Milestones

Total National Hunt Winners in Britain by Season

Total National Hunt winners in Ireland by Season (144)

See also

References

External links