Celebrating Ruby Walsh: The Legend of Cheltenham Festival Ruby Walsh is revered as one of the greatest jumps jockey of all-time and the most successful rider ever to grace the Cheltenham Festival. About Rupert 'Ruby' Walsh, the eldest son of Ted and Helen Walsh, was born and reared in Kill, Co Kildare. His father was a top amateur jockey and revered trainer and horses were never far from his life as a boy. His sister, Katie, was a top amateur rider and Cheltenham Festival winner in her career in the saddle. The Walsh's — Ted and Ruby — famously won the Aintree Grand National with Papillon in 2000, emulating Tommy and Paul Carberry in becoming just the second father/son team to achieve the feat. Ruby was champion jockey in Ireland 12 times, forming a stellar alliance with Willie Mullins while also juggling his job at home with being stable jockey for Paul Nicholls in Britain during a golden era for the Ditcheat trainer. He was leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival no less than 11 times and his tally of 59 Cheltenham winners is the benchmark. He rode his first winner at the Cotswolds showpiece on Alexander Banquet in the 1998 Champion Bumper and his last on Klassical Dream in the 2019 Supreme Novices' Hurdle. He won the Champion Hurdle four times, the Queen Mother Champion Chase three times, the Stayers' Hurdle times and twice bagged the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. He also won just about every Grade 1 race in Britain and Ireland, three Irish Nationals and a second Aintree National. He stunned the racing world by retiring immediately after winning the Punchestown Gold Cup on Kemboy in 2019 and he is now one of the most revered and clever racing pundits on Irish and UK television. Papillon provides storybook moment Aged just 20, Ruby Walsh fulfilled a dream as he won the Grand National at Aintree on Papillon, trained by his father, Ted, in 2000. The 10/1 chance came home just over a length in front of Mely Moss under Norman Williamson. Despite going on to raise the bar in terms of elite success as jumps rider, Walsh has no qualms in pinpointing that win as the high point. "The proudest moment of my career was winning the Grand National when I was 20. My dad had trained the horse [Papillon], and that gave me the most pride," he told the Irish Times. "The trainer has a much bigger emotional attachment to the horse than the jockey, because they spend so much time together. The jockey just gets on and off." The Walsh axis also landed the Irish National together with Commanche Court the same season — a remarkable feat. Ruby scored again at Aintree in 2005 on Hedgehunter for Mullins. Lasting Cheltenham legacy assured Though he routinely won big races across Britain and Ireland in his career, it was at Cheltenham in March where Walsh appeared to really come to life, on the biggest stage in the sport. He was leading rider in the Cotswolds 11 times and, today, the leading rider at the Festival is awarded the Ruby Walsh Trophy. He won the Stayers' Hurdle four years on the trot with Big Buck's, partnered Quevega to a record six Festival wins and landed two Champion Hurdles on record-breaker Hurricane Fly. But it is perhaps Kauto Star that is the horse most tied to Walsh's riding career. They won the Gold Cup in 2007 and after finishing second a year later, became the first and so far only duo to win it, lose it and win it back. Kauto Star also provided Walsh with five King George wins at Kempton, a record, and is widely acclaimed as the best chaser of this century.
