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Ryan Mania was born in Galashiels, Scotland on December 23 1989.By the time he was three his mum, mental health worker Lesley, and dad Kevin, a joiner, had sat him on a Shetland pony and his love of riding began.
By the age of twelve he was working with point-to-point horses.
Ryan first appeared on a British racecourse on May 5, 2007. Claiming seven pounds, he pulled up at Hexham on Opal's Helmsman behind Granoski Gala in a Maiden Hunters' Chase.
He rode initially for the Midlothian trainer Peter Monteith coming to prominence after landing his first two wins (Quicuyo & Millie The Filly) on the same day - Friday, March 7, 2008 - at Ayr in atrocious conditions. This amazing double came just three weeks after he had signed on as an apprentice before joining Howard Johnson's County Durham's yard. When Johnson lost his licence Ryan quit the sport.
He said at the time: 'The minute that I heard he'd lost his licence, I phoned up for another job. Losing a yard like that, I wondered what I was going to do.'
What he did was to spend the next two months as whipper-in for the Fife Hunt but he badly missed racing.
He was spotted at the Hunt by Harvey Smith who asked Ryan to ride work for him.
'At that time,' recalled Ryan, 'Henry Oliver worked for Harvey, but just as I started to ride out, Henry broke his leg and I started riding for them. Luckily, everything I rode for them won.'
He became the first Scot since David Campbell, in 1896 on The Soarer, to win the Grand National when guiding outsider Auroras Encore to victory in 2013.
Ryan said after: “I had the choice of two rides but I was second on Auroras Encore in the Scottish Grand National and thought I better stay loyal to him. Thank God I did.
“The race went by in a flash. I just tried to jump off around the jockeys that have been round before.
“I jumped off exactly where I wanted to be.
“He just jumped from fence to fence. I couldn’t believe the run I got.
“I was really enjoying it. I couldn’t ask for a better ride and the horse was loving it as well.
“I couldn’t believe even when I got to the Melling Road that I was still there. I was just happy to have been placed at that point.
“When the front two stopped and I took off in front of them it was unbelievable..
On Friday November 21, 2008, Ryan rode his first ever treble, getting Signalman, Doc Row and Political Paddy first past the post at Kelso. The treble paid 54/1.
Ryan's riding record:
2007-08 8 wins from 83 rides
2008-09 15 wins from 174 rides
2009-10 31 wins from 358 rides
2010-11 24 wins from 241 rides
2011-12 21 wins from 168 rides
2012-13 24 wins from 298 rides.
By Wednesday 12 March, 2014, Ryan had ridden 184 winners from 1,714 mounts, 88 over hurdles, 90 over fences and 6 National Hunt Flat. He had been placed on another 553 occasions.
In November, 2014, Ryan, aged 24, shocked the racing world by announcing his retirement from the saddle 'with immediate effect'.
Citing weight problems and lack of opportunities, he added: "Of course I am sad that I am stopping, but it has been at the back of my mind for some time.
"People don't always see the sacrifices that jockeys have to make if they're to make the weight.
"I'm not being fair to myself if I carry on being miserable; this is different to last time, when I always knew I would come back riding at some point. I rode four winners the other week and I just didn't get that kick out of winning."
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