Horse Racing Legends: The Greatest Jockeys of All Time

Horse racing stands as an old and classy sport that has boosted an enormous number of professionals throughout its history. Today, we know many great jockeys and trainers who defined this sport for the next generation. In this article, we want to introduce to you the most famous and highly skilled jockeys. We’ll talk about the best of the best and touch on the qualities that make each of them exceptional.

The Legacy of Great Jockeys

Despite the fact that the horse racing sport appeared a long time ago, it is still evolving. Humans have loved to domesticate animals since ancient times. Horses, in turn, are very smart, tactile, and obedient animals. The art of riding horses is deep and very majestic. The concept of “jockey” first came into use in the 17th century. King Charles II was the first king to popularize horse racing. 

However, becoming a jockey is tough and challenging work. It requires a sharp mind, a lightweight body, and great coordination skills. Great jockeys should fully understand the character of their horse and try to find a connection with it. Of course, we can’t forget the various risks. Horse racing can be dangerous due to the unpredictable character of the animal. So, the job of jockeys is complex and very serious. Let’s look at the history of great jockeys of all time and give them credit!

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Bill Shoemaker – A Record-Breaking Career

And we start with Bill Shoemaker – a famous jockey who spent more than 40 years in the irons. Bill was born in Texas in 1931. He earned his first win when he was 18 years, in 1949, when he became a winner at Golden Gate Fields. After that, he won the Santa Anita Handicap 11 times and the Hollywood Derby, Hollywood Gold Cup, Santa Anita Derby, Del Mar Handicap, and Oak Tree Invitational 7 times of each race. 

Bill made an absolute record; he won 8,833 races in total. He retired in 1987 with the earnings of $123,375,524. In this table, we’ll list all of his achievements during his career as a jockey.

Bill has also earned these achievements:

• Eclipse Award – Outstanding Jockey – 1981.
• North America’s Leading Rider, earnings – 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1964.
• North America’s Leading Rider wins – 1950, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959.

Lester Piggott – The British Legend

Lester Piggott, born in England in 1935, was one of the world’s greatest jockeys. Piggor was the British riding champion 11 times and specialized in riding Thoroughbred horses. He rode his first race being just 12 years old. He won the Derby 9 times, the St. Leger race 8 times, the 2,000 Guineas 5 times, and the Oaks 6 times.

Lester retired in 1995, and by this time, he had won 4,350 races and 30 English Classic races in total.

To his merits, we can add these awards:

• Winner of Triple Crown
• Winner of Two Thousand Guineas.
  

Lester was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1975. However, in 1987, he was charged for income tax evasion, and was released in 1988.

Eddie Arcaro – The Triple Crown Master

Eddie Accaro is another outstanding American jockey born in 1916 in Ohio. Eddie was a Thoroughbred jockey who was famous for his winning at most classical American races. Hall of Fame was the main horse in his professional career. Although his parents were immigrants and had no connections with equestrian sport, Accaro showed interest in horses since childhood.

Eddie won his first race in 1932 when he was only 16 years old. Since then, Accaro’s brilliant career has begun.

Accaro was a very talented jockey who had dedicated all his life to the horse racing sport. He retired in 1962 by ending his career with 24,092 races. Eddie also set a new record by participating in 554 races aboard Royal Owl in the San Jacinto Stakes. Later, this record was beaten by Bill Shoemaker, who made 555 races. 

Ángel Cordero Jr. – The Pride of Puerto Rico

Anjelo Cordero was born in Puerto Rico, in 1942. His family was poor and had small economic resources, but Anjelo always had big ambitions. Cordero’s professional career started in 1961 when he obtained a jockey license. A year later, he accomplished 41 races in first, eight second, and five third places. 

Thanks to his achievements, Anjelo earned the title of the best apprentice in 1963. Let’s look at his famous races and the horses he tamed.

After retiring, he started his career as a trainer. Angel became an agent for various famous jockeys, like John Velazquez. In total, he participated in 38,684 runs and won $164,571,847 prize money. 

Frankie Dettori – The Modern-Day Superstar

Eccentric and talented – all of these are about Frankie Dettori. Frankie is a remarkable jockey of our time. He was born in Italy and was introduced to horses by his father. As time passed, he developed an interest in horses and wanted to be a professional jockey. Dettori quit school and started to develop his jockey career. Today, after 35 years, Frankie was the champion of the UK three times and obtained the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe six times. 

For his professional jockey’s career, Frankie:

• Has 3,358 British wins
• 81 Royal Ascot wins
• 9 Royal Ascot Gold Cups
• 6 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
  

For one season, Frankie has over 200 wins. He was a champion jockey in 1994, 1995, and 2004. In 1989, Dettori earned the Champion Apprentice award. Despite the fact that 2024 was the possible retirement year for Dettori, he put it off. So, this exceptional jockey will continue to cherish us with his appearances and wins. 

Pat Day – The All-Time Earnings Leader

Patrick Alan, or “Pat Day,” was born in Colorado in 1953. Now, he is already a retired American jockey, but 4 decades ago, Patrick was a star in the horse racing world. Alan is 4 times winner of the Eclipse Award for being Outstanding Jockey. Patrick won the Triple Crown 9 times and 13 Breeders Cup races.

During his career, Pat was a leader of all Breeder Cup races. After his retirement, this title will be given to another jockey. Pat Day retired in 2005 with 8,803 wins in total. 

Pat’s style can be described as patient and gentle. He never forced the horse to do something she was not capable of. That’s why many trainers critiqued him for being too slow. However, Patrick achieved great heights in his horse racing career and still remains a favorite jockey for many people.

Mike Smith – The Veteran Champion

Mike Smith is the oldest jockey to win the title of Triple Crown. He was born in 1965 in America and became one of the leading jockeys of Thoroughbred horses. The key moments of his career happened between 1990 – 2010 years. In 1991, he won the Irish 2,000 Guineas; then Mike became the Breeder’s Cup winner. By the time of 1993, he was considered a top American jockey who set records all over the world.

Smith’s ability to stay calm even during tense situations made them an outstanding leader. Even after a series of tough injuries, he returned to the horse racing sport. In 2018, he confirmed the title of the best jockey and won the Kentucky Derby. In the same year, Mike participated in Preakness Stakes races and obtained the 13th Triple Crown award. By doing this, he became the oldest jockey (52 years) to win this title.

Honorable Mentions – More Jockey Legends

Even though we have already reviewed the main legends of equestrian sport, we would still like to talk about these three exceptional jockeys. Laffit A. Pincay, Russell Baze, and Pat Eddery need no introduction. They are all talented jockeys who have dedicated themselves to this challenging sport.

Pincay came to the US from Panama and won eight of his eleven races. Thanks to these achievements, Laffir became one of the most esteemed jockeys in American history.

Starting his career in the early 90s, Baze secured about 12,700 wins. As a result, he stole the title of the world’s winningest jockey from Laffit. After retirement in 2016, Baze obtained the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award for his great contribution to the horse racing sport.

Eddery earned over 4,600 wins for his entire 30-year career. This Irishman proved that he’s capable of becoming the best of the best in the equestrian sport. He has shared a record with Pincay, being named a Champion Jockey eleven times.

The Qualities That Make a Jockey Legendary

Becoming a jockey is a very tough and complex decision. When you are working with animals, you need to be patient and gentle yet strict and disciplined. The horse must feel your authority and listen to you during competitions. Let’s find the characteristics that the best jockey should possess.

Physical and Mental Strength

Of course, the main factor that will make you a great jockey is a good physical. Jockeys should have their own training plan and stick to the low weight. Generally, weight is the key moment in horse racing. The jockey must be lightweight and mobile so as not to cause discomfort to the horse. Another important moment is mental clarity. The people working with such demure animals as horses should be in a good mood and not allow their mental problems to affect the animals. Horses are very sensitive animals, so they will notice any change in your mood.

Connection With Horses

In addition to a good mental state, the ideal jockey should have a connection with his horses. All animals are different, so sometimes, one horse is calm and quiet, while the other is noisy and nervous. A good jockey must find a key for any horse and help her calm down. That is why the most talented jockeys are the only people who truly love and respect their horses.

Adaptability and Strategy

As with any other sportsmen, jockeys also have their own strategy. Many of them prefer to be calm and patient regarding training. The other likes to be more strict. Anyway, each of them has their own style, which helps them to win first places. Jockeys also should develop their stress resistance. There are many tense moments during the actual competitions, so they need to adapt and make a decision quickly. 

Conclusion

Horse racing is a complex and exciting sport that requires great endurance and the power of the blow. Only a small number of beginning jockeys can become truly outstanding and famous throughout the world. So, let’s thank these wonderful jockeys for giving their lives to this difficult sport!