After riding a winner at Thurles, Gold Cup and Grand National-winning jockey Davy Russell announced his immediate retirement from the saddle.
The veteran jump jockey rode the 6-5 favorite, Liberty Dance, owned by Gordon Elliott, to a comfortable victory over the hurdles. Russell announced upon his return to the paddock that the ride would be his last.
Russell won the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup riding trainer Jim Culloty’s 20-1 chance Lord Windermere. More recently, Russell has been involved with the Elliott-trained Tiger Roll, the two-time National winner who won the prestigious race in 2018 and 2019 with Russell aboard.
Russell, 43, was critically injured in 2020 when he fell at the Munster National at Limerick, suffering a severe neck injury consisting of fractured and displaced vertebrae that required surgery and a lengthy recovery period.
After missing the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, Russell returned to the saddle in September after an absence of eleven months.
“It is a wonderful occasion, and it is great to do it in Thurles, the center of our sport,” he remarked. “For so long, racing was suspended, and I planned to retire when I had my next winner.”
“When I broke my neck, I was taken aback. People believed I would retire; if an injury prevented me, that was fine, but I was content to do it on my terms. It is a tribute to my family that they never questioned my actions, regardless of how bizarre they seemed at the time.
However, I believed I needed something to motivate me through the rehabilitation process, and the biggest incentive was returning to riding.
“Because it was such hard labor, I didn’t decide to return until the day I was cleared to ride a horse again. My neck flex wasn’t functioning properly at the moment, but I’m fine now. I have aches and pains, but I’m not blaming that; it’s simply time.
I spoke with Gordon some time ago about retirement, and he gave me his full support. “I’m thrilled Tim (O’Driscoll), who is an integral component of the stable, won.”
He continued, “I have five children and a great deal of work. I would like the romance of training, but starting again at age 43 would be challenging.
In ten years, I may teach a few point-to-pointers or whatever if the children desire to participate in point-to-point competitions. It would be difficult for me to go back to square one (in terms of training) at this point.
He continued, “I had fantasized about it (a successful career as a jockey), but I never imagined it would become a reality. I will never forget my first or last winner, but it is difficult to escape Tiger Roll.”
