Dale Swift
Dale Swift was born on August 24, 1985 and raised in Rotherham. He had his first rides in 2002. A promising apprentice, he won a valuable Glorious Goodwood handicap on Indian Days in 2010. He went on to win the Ebor Handicap on Moyenne Corniche in 2011 and also won that year’s Ayr Silver Cup.
Dale Swift was born on August 24, 1985 and raised in Rotherham. He had his first rides in 2002. A promising apprentice, he won a valuable Glorious Goodwood handicap on Indian Days in 2010. He went on to win the Ebor Handicap on Moyenne Corniche in 2011 and also won that year’s Ayr Silver Cup.
He struck up a great rapport with Top Notch Tonto, whose white face and socks helped make him a favourite of many racing fans. They teamed up to win Haydock’s Group 3 Superior Mile in 2013. Later that year, they finished runner-up to Olympic Glory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot.
He struck up a great rapport with Top Notch Tonto, whose white face and socks helped make him a favourite of many racing fans. They teamed up to win Haydock’s Group 3 Superior Mile in 2013. Later that year, they finished runner-up to Olympic Glory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot.
However, Dale’s time in the saddle was not always straightforward and he faced a constant battle with his weight, even having a spell over jumps during the 2009-10 campaign. He was banned for six months by the BHA in 2015 after testing positive for a banned substance. He returned to action in April 2016 and rode a handful of winners, but admitted he had resorted to self-induced vomiting, known as flipping, in a bid to control his weight.
However, Dale’s time in the saddle was not always straightforward and he faced a constant battle with his weight, even having a spell over jumps during the 2009-10 campaign. He was banned for six months by the BHA in 2015 after testing positive for a banned substance. He returned to action in April 2016 and rode a handful of winners, but admitted he had resorted to self-induced vomiting, known as flipping, in a bid to control his weight.
He had his last ride, aged 31, at Southwell on April 4, 2017, on Henley for Tracey Waggott, finishing second, beaten a neck. The following week he had his licence suspended by the BHA for failing to explain why he’d missed a ride at Lingfield on Saturday, April 8. He immediately announced his retirement, saying that his weight-associated problems had left him feeling “miserable and depressed”. He added he intended to remain in the sport in some capacity.
He had his last ride, aged 31, at Southwell on April 4, 2017, on Henley for Tracey Waggott, finishing second, beaten a neck. The following week he had his licence suspended by the BHA for failing to explain why he’d missed a ride at Lingfield on Saturday, April 8. He immediately announced his retirement, saying that his weight-associated problems had left him feeling “miserable and depressed”. He added he intended to remain in the sport in some capacity.
His rollercoaster career took another twist in September 2017 when a BHA-appointed disciplinary panel suspended him until December 2018 after he tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine following a meeting at Southwell in March. By then, however, it made no difference because he had already taken the decision to end his career as a professional jockey.
His rollercoaster career took another twist in September 2017 when a BHA-appointed disciplinary panel suspended him until December 2018 after he tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine following a meeting at Southwell in March. By then, however, it made no difference because he had already taken the decision to end his career as a professional jockey.