Harry Cobden (born 5 November 1998) is a British

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

who competes in

National Hunt racing 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, horse racing in Great Britain, Great Britain and horse racing in Ireland, Ireland. Jump Racin ...

. He was British Champion Conditional Jockey in 2015/16 and went on to ride as first jockey to trainer Paul Nicholls. By the end of the 2023/24 season he had won 24 Grade 1 races. He was

British jump racing Champion Jockey In Great Britain's National Hunt racing, the title of champion jockey is bestowed on the rider who has the most wins during a racing season. From its inception in 1900 to 1925, the award was given to the jockey who had the most winners during a ...

in 2023/24.

Background

Cobden was born on 5 November 1998, the youngest of the two sons of Somerset farmers Sarah and Will Cobden, who also ran an abattoir. He learnt to ride as a small child and later took part in pony racing. In school holidays he worked in the yard of trainer Ron Hodges. A boarder at Sexey's School, he left without taking any GCSEs and went to work with local trainer Anthony Honeyball. Cobden won the men's novice point-to-point title in the 2014/15 season and won his first race under rules on 33/1 outsider El Mondo in a hunter chase at

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

on 6 March 2015.

Career

At the beginning of the 2015/16 season, Cobden became

conditional jockey A conditional jockey is an apprentice National Hunt racing jockey in Great Britain or Ireland under the age of 26 who has not won more than seventy-five races under rules or had not won that many races within the last six months. A conditional joc ...

to Paul Nicholls at Ditcheat in Somerset. He had been riding out for Nicholls in the summers since he was 13. He achieved his first Grade success in November 2015, when Old Guard won the Grade 3 Greatwood Hurdle for Nicholls. Irving, trained by Nicholls, provided him with his first Grade 1 victory when he won the

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 ...

in November 2016. Cobden was crowned champion conditional jockey at the end of the 2016/17 season. Cobden won his first Cheltenham Festival victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in March 2018 on Kilbricken Storm, trained by

Colin Tizzard Colin Tizzard (born 7 January 1956) is a British racehorse trainer specializing in National Hunt racing. He held a full training licence from 1998 until 2022. In 2010 Tizzard trained Cue Card to victory in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bum ...

. In April 2018, just before 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 ...

meeting, he was offered the role of first jockey by both Colin Tizzard and Nicholls. Having ridden Ultragold 1 to a second consecutive victory in the Topham Chase for Tizzard and Diego Du Charmil to victory in the Maghull Novices' Chase. he decided to accept the offer for Nicholls, while continuing to ride for Tizzard. Soon after taking on the role as stable jockey to Nicholls, Cobden broke his C2 vertebra in a fall at

Market Rasen Market Rasen ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The River Rase runs through it east to west, approximately north-east from Lincoln, England, Lincoln, eas ...

and was sidelined for several months. In 2018/19, his first full season riding as stable jockey for Nicholls, he achieved four Grade 1 victories for the trainer, including the King George VI Chase on Clan des Obeaux. By the end of the 2023/24 season, Cobden had won 866 races and achieved 24 Grade 1 victories over his career. He was crowned 2023/24 champion jump jockey, finishing the season seven wins ahead of Sean Bowen.

Life outside racing

Cobden lives on the family farm in Somerset, where he takes an active part in raising cattle. He also runs a shooting business on 13 acres of farmland.

Cheltenham Festival winners (6)

* Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - (2) '' Kilbricken Storm (2018), Stay Away Fay (2023) '' * Broadway Novices' Chase - (1) '' Topofthegame (2019) '' *

Golden Miller Novices' Chase The Golden Miller Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, is a Grade Two National Hunt limited handicap chase in Great Britain which is ...

- (2) '' Stage Star (2023), Caldwell Potter (2025) '' *

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) '' Monmiral (2024) ''

Major wins

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 Bowl - (2) '' Clan des Obeaux (2021, 2022) '' * Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle - (1) '' Monmiral (2021) '' * Ascot Chase - (3) '' Cyrname (2019), Pic D'Orhy (2024, 2025) '' * Celebration Chase - (1) '' Greaneteen (2022) '' * Challow Novices' Hurdle - (4) '' Bravemansgame (2020), Stage Star (2021), Hermes Allen (2022), Captain Teague (2023)'' *

- (1) '' Irving (2016) '' * Henry VIII Novices' Chase - (1) '' Dynamite Dollars (2018) '' * Kauto Star Novices' Chase - (1) '' Bravemansgame (2021) '' * King George VI Chase - (2) '' Clan des Obeaux (2018), Bravemansgame (2022) '' * Maghull Novices' Chase - (2) '' Diego Du Charmil (2018), Kalif Du Berlais (2025) '' * Melling Chase - (1) '' Pic D'Orhy (2023) '' * Mildmay Novices' Chase - (1) '' Caldwell Potter (2025) '' *

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 ...

- (1) '' Gelino Bello (2022) '' *

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) '' Politologue (2017) '' * Tolworth Novices' Hurdle - (1) '' Tahmuras (2022) ''

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobden, Harry 1998 births Living people British jockeys People educated at Sexey's School British Champion jumps jockeys Sportspeople from Somerset