David Mullins
Grand National-winning jockey David James Mullins was born in Kilkenny on June 6, 1996. He hailed from one of Ireland’s great racing families and was always destined to become a jockey. His father, Tom, has enjoyed plenty of success as a trainer from the same yard where David’s grandfather Paddy prepared the legendary mare Dwan Run.
Grand National-winning jockey David James Mullins was born in Kilkenny on June 6, 1996. He hailed from one of Ireland’s great racing families and was always destined to become a jockey. His father, Tom, has enjoyed plenty of success as a trainer from the same yard where David’s grandfather Paddy prepared the legendary mare Dwan Run.
David was soon riding ponies and was good at show-jumping, but his main interest was hunting. He left school at 16 and joined his uncle, Willie Mullins, starting out as an amateur. He rode his first winner of Rathvawn Belle, trained by Dick Donohue, in a Punchestown bumper on February 20, 2013. He went on to ride a dozen winners before turning professional.
David was soon riding ponies and was good at show-jumping, but his main interest was hunting. He left school at 16 and joined his uncle, Willie Mullins, starting out as an amateur. He rode his first winner of Rathvawn Belle, trained by Dick Donohue, in a Punchestown bumper on February 20, 2013. He went on to ride a dozen winners before turning professional.
His professional career started with a bump rather than a bang when he was unseated from Elm Lee on his first ride on October 16, 2014. Undaunted, he went on to partner his first winner in the paid ranks on Fosters Cross, trained by his father, in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Handicap Hurdle at Thurles on December 21, 2014. He achieved his first major success on Devils Bride, trained by Willie Mullins, in a Grade 3 novice chase at Naas on November 1, 2015.
His professional career started with a bump rather than a bang when he was unseated from Elm Lee on his first ride on October 16, 2014. Undaunted, he went on to partner his first winner in the paid ranks on Fosters Cross, trained by his father, in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Handicap Hurdle at Thurles on December 21, 2014. He achieved his first major success on Devils Bride, trained by Willie Mullins, in a Grade 3 novice chase at Naas on November 1, 2015.
He won nine Grade 1 races during a short but highly successful career, the first of them when making all on Nichols Canyon in the 2015 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown, in so doing inflicting a first-ever defeat on Faugheen.
He won nine Grade 1 races during a short but highly successful career, the first of them when making all on Nichols Canyon in the 2015 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown, in so doing inflicting a first-ever defeat on Faugheen.
He ensured his place in racing history when winning the 2016 Grand National for owners Gigginstown Stud on the Mouse Morris-trained 33-1 shot Rule The World, beating The Last Samurai by six lengths. By doing so, at the age of just 19, he became the first teenage jockey to win the Grand National since Pat Buckley 53 years earlier. Not only was it his first-ever ride in the race but nine-year-old Rule The World had never won over fences before.
He ensured his place in racing history when winning the 2016 Grand National for owners Gigginstown Stud on the Mouse Morris-trained 33-1 shot Rule The World, beating The Last Samurai by six lengths. By doing so, at the age of just 19, he became the first teenage jockey to win the Grand National since Pat Buckley 53 years earlier. Not only was it his first-ever ride in the race but nine-year-old Rule The World had never won over fences before.
David enjoyed his best season numerically in 2016/17 with a score of 44 winners. He won four Grade 1s during 2018, including the Ryanair Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo, the Punchestown Gold Cup on Bellshill, and the Champion Stayers Hurdle on Faugheen.
David enjoyed his best season numerically in 2016/17 with a score of 44 winners. He won four Grade 1s during 2018, including the Ryanair Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo, the Punchestown Gold Cup on Bellshill, and the Champion Stayers Hurdle on Faugheen.
But as well as the ups, there were the inevitable downs. He had to be air-lifted to hospital after a horrific fall from Lean And Keen at Thurles in October of 2019, an incident in which he suffered a fracture to his clavicle and his T12 thoracic vertebrae.
But as well as the ups, there were the inevitable downs. He had to be air-lifted to hospital after a horrific fall from Lean And Keen at Thurles in October of 2019, an incident in which he suffered a fracture to his clavicle and his T12 thoracic vertebrae.
He announced his retirement from the saddle on January 20, 2021 at the age of just 24, revealing his heart was no longer in the game and that he struggled with the lifestyle required. He had ridden a total of 211 winners in Ireland. In addition to nine victories at Grade 1 level, most of them for Willie Mullins but also for Sandra Hughes and Pat Fahy. He won 40 Graded races in all. He finished third on what proved to be his final ride, Blackbow in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase at Naas on January 13, 2021.
He announced his retirement from the saddle on January 20, 2021 at the age of just 24, revealing his heart was no longer in the game and that he struggled with the lifestyle required. He had ridden a total of 211 winners in Ireland. In addition to nine victories at Grade 1 level, most of them for Willie Mullins but also for Sandra Hughes and Pat Fahy. He won 40 Graded races in all. He finished third on what proved to be his final ride, Blackbow in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase at Naas on January 13, 2021.
Breaking the news exclusively to the Racing Post, David said he was at peace with his decision and had known for more than a year that it was not the right career path for him. On his decision to quit halfway through the jumps season, he said: “I was definitely going to retire at the end of this season, but it would have been unfair to owners and trainers if I continued to ride on any longer when my heart wasn't in it. I think I realised during Galway (summer festival) in 2019 that the whole thing wasn't for me.”
Breaking the news exclusively to the Racing Post, David said he was at peace with his decision and had known for more than a year that it was not the right career path for him. On his decision to quit halfway through the jumps season, he said: “I was definitely going to retire at the end of this season, but it would have been unfair to owners and trainers if I continued to ride on any longer when my heart wasn't in it. I think I realised during Galway (summer festival) in 2019 that the whole thing wasn't for me.”
He added: “When you leave school at 16 you feel trapped into being a jockey. It's relentless. You're always on call and never get a break. I've been trying to figure out loads of different things to do, but when you're in the bubble it can be very hard to think outside of that bubble. The money is good if you're riding plenty of winners and every jockey out there is fully entitled to every penny they earn because it’s not easy. But, at the end of the day, there is not much job or financial security. I didn’t want to end up being 35 years of age and having to start up something from the bottom. I’d rather be 24 and doing that.”
He added: “When you leave school at 16 you feel trapped into being a jockey. It's relentless. You're always on call and never get a break. I've been trying to figure out loads of different things to do, but when you're in the bubble it can be very hard to think outside of that bubble. The money is good if you're riding plenty of winners and every jockey out there is fully entitled to every penny they earn because it’s not easy. But, at the end of the day, there is not much job or financial security. I didn’t want to end up being 35 years of age and having to start up something from the bottom. I’d rather be 24 and doing that.”
As regards his future, David said he hoped to become a more frequent visitor to the sales. He said: “I love the sales and I really enjoy going to Goffs or Tatts and buying and selling horses. I like judging horses and trying to figure out what they might make. I’d be keeping an eye on that all the time. But, when you’re on call as a jockey there is not much time to get to the sales and do what I like to do.”
As regards his future, David said he hoped to become a more frequent visitor to the sales. He said: “I love the sales and I really enjoy going to Goffs or Tatts and buying and selling horses. I like judging horses and trying to figure out what they might make. I’d be keeping an eye on that all the time. But, when you’re on call as a jockey there is not much time to get to the sales and do what I like to do.”
He concluded: “The buying and selling of horses is something I would definitely hope to get more involved in. I get as much of a buzz out of that as I did riding winners."
He concluded: “The buying and selling of horses is something I would definitely hope to get more involved in. I get as much of a buzz out of that as I did riding winners."