Rachael Blackmore has announced her retirement.
It’s not easy to sum up a career like hers. Not because the numbers aren’t there—they are. Crystal clear and impossible to argue with. She’s won the Grand National. She’s won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. She’s been leading jockey at the Festival. Eighteen Cheltenham wins. Two Champion Hurdles with Honeysuckle. And she didn’t just show up in these moments—she lived them, she owned them and all the pressure that came with them. What an absolute boss.
But to leave it at numbers would be to miss the point.
Rachael Blackmore changed racing in ways we will only understand in years to come. She did it through performances—week in, week out. At big festivals and smaller tracks... she always gave it everything.
She wasn’t one of the best female jockeys in the world. She was one of the best jockeys, full stop. And she did it in an industry that some might say hadn’t made necessarily made space for someone like her before. By god did she kick that door open by proving, again and again, that she belonged at the top table of racing.
There was always a calm about her. A steadiness to her demeanour. To me, it was always an inner confidence. She knew without ever shouting it, how good she was and the experience she has behind her. Whether it was the chaos of Aintree or the pressure of the Gold Cup, nothing ever seemed to rattle her. Just think of the pressure she must have been under at times...
She spoke with composure. She rode with purpose and just incredible talent. And she carried herself with an inner strength that earned the respect of every corner of the sport.
What she’s done on the track is historic.
But what she’s done off it might matter even more.
She’s become a role model for an entire generation. You can’t count the number of young girls who watched her do the unthinkable and thought—maybe I can do it too. That ripple effect will outlive records. She’s made the equine world a place with more possibility. More belief. And more women stepping forward not just to participate—but to lead. Just think of the young girls worldwide that love horses that "want to be Rachael Blackmore".
By being who she was—by riding the way she rode and showing up the way she showed up—she became a symbol and dare I say an Icon.
Her partnership with Henry de Bromhead will go down as one of the great collaborations in the sport. The trust, the consistency, the success—it wasn’t a fluke. It was built over time, through mutual belief, and the results speak for themselves. She credits him with helping shape her career. He'd probably say the same thing about her.
There’ll be plenty of talk now about what’s next. But whatever she does, wherever she goes, the sport won’t forget her. Because you don’t forget someone who changed the entire conversation.
Not just a history-maker.
A standard-setter and what a standard to follow.
Thank you Rachael for being you. For all you've done for the sport, for the industry and being such an incredible role model for the next generation.
There will be many like her, but there will never be another Rachael Blackmore.
Until Next Time,
Shane
