Multiple champion Irish National Hunt jockey Bobby Coonan served his apprenticeship with Staff Ingham in Epsom, an experience he described as “penal servitude”.
Having shared the 1963 Irish jockeys’ title with Pat Taaffe, Francis Shortt and Tony Redmond in an historic tie, at a time when the title was determined on a calendar-year basis, Bobby went on to dominate the Irish scene and landed six outright championships in a row (1967-1972).
He was stable jockey to Paddy Sleator’s powerful Grangecon stable and enjoyed great success, winning the Galway Plate three times for Sleater, twice on Royal Day in 1967 and 1969, and on O’Leary in 1976. He registered his sole Cheltenham Festival success on Ballywilliam Boy in a division of the Gloucester Hurdle (now the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle) in 1970.
He won the 1969 Irish Grand National on Sweet Dreams, trained by Kevin Bell, and the 1978 Irish Champion Hurdle on the Kevin Prendergast-trained Prominent King. He also won two Kerry Nationals, on San Marco in 1961 and Pearl Of Montreal in 1971, a Power Gold Cup on No Other and the 1970 Leopardstown Chase on King Vulgan.
No stranger to the winner’s enclosure in England, he recorded high-profile successes in the 1970 SGB Chase at Ascot on Glencaraig Lady and the 1974 King George IV Chase on Captain Christy.
He started training after injury forced his retirement from the saddle, and experienced some success, but nothing like that he had enjoyed as a rider.
Bobby Coonan died on March 2, 2007 in St Brigid's Hospice on the Curragh following a long illness. He was 67 and had been fighting cancer for some time.
His nephew, Andrew Coonan, a solicitor and amateur rider, is secretary of the Irish Jockeys’ Association.
