Tommy Carberry


Tommy Carberry was a National Hunt jockey who was twice overall champion Irish jockey and five times champion national hunt jockey. He rode in his first race in 1958, and was crowned champion apprentice in 1959. He retired in 1982, after which he began training. He won the Grand National as a jockey on L'Escargot in 1975 and as a trainer with Bobbyjo in 1999. Carberry also rode L'Escargot to successive Cheltenham Gold Cups in 1970 and 1971.

Career

In 1970, Carberry rode L'Escargot to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup by one and a half lengths from French Tan. He also rode L'Escargot to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following year, this time beating Leap by 10 lengths.
In 1973, Carberry was victorious on Inkslinger in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
1975 proved to be a great year for Carberry as he came home first in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Aintree Grand National and the Irish Grand National. Ten Up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup was his third win in the race. His Aintree Grand National win was on L'Escargot when he beat Red Rum who was trying for a third successive victory in the race. His 1975 Irish Grand National success was on Brown Lad who he also rode to victory with in the following year.
In 1980, Carberry rode Tied Cottage in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The horse finished the race first but Tied Cottage was later disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance.
When he retired from riding, he started training. His son Paul Carberry was also a jockey, when he won the 1998 Irish Grand National with BobbyJo and the 1999 Grand National. Prior to the victory in the 1999 Grand National, the last victory by an Irish trained horse was in 1975.

Personal life

He married Pamela Moore in 1970. Their children are, Thomas, Paul, Philip, Nina, Mark and Peter John. Paul, Philip and Nina have all won the Irish Grand National and are no longer national hunt jockeys, the youngest Peter John continues to ride. Mark is the only one of Tommy's Children that was not a jockey or a horse trainer. Carberry died on 12 July 2017, aged 75.