Charlie Swan was a top Irish National Hunt jockey who thrilled racing fans throughout the 1990s. Although he had many winners, Swan liked to be associated with Istabraq, on whom he registered three of his most memorable victories. This outstanding rider remained a leading sporting figure in Ireland for lmost a decade. Now retired, Swan lives in Modreeny in County Tipperary.

Charlie Swan’s father was a long-serving British Army Captain, and the discipline from that upbringing helped as he grew into a racecourse legend. His father also had notable involvements in horse training and amateur racing. Before he joined the world of competitive riding, Charlie achieved his first amateur win at the age of just fifteen. The promising victory aboard Final Assault gave tell-tale hints of his untapped potential and he would later prove that he was indeed a racer of splendid capabilities.

Following a successful apprenticeship at Naas, Charlie Swan entered professional racing and worked tirelessly hard to become a top sportsman not only in Ireland but also throughout Europe. After a few seasons in the world of championship riding, Swan realised his very first noteworthy championship victory in 1989/90. For nine years, he held the prestigious title of the best Irish horse racer. He only lost this title when he chose to quit active professional riding to concentrate on his demanding training career.

Upon retiring from a successful racing career, Charlie Swan acquired a training license in 1998. He took over the training stable of his dad and launched operations as a coach, although he sometimes dabbled in some non-professional jockeying. Currently, he’s a widely influential trainer based in Cloughjordan.

Barry Geraghty is a celebrated jockey of Irish descent. The 1979-born sporting sensation was the leading jockey at the 2011 Grand National Meeting, and also had success at the Cheltenham Festival the same year. Geraghty’s rise to racing fame happened over a relatively short three year period.

Geraghty surprised many when he ably steered his way to a first-ever career win in 1997. Within the next three years, he was declared the Irish Champion jump jockey. Most successful jockeys don’t attain their reputation for winning in double quick fashion, and so certainly his success stands out in that regard.

Geraghty built his reputation yet further by attaining his maiden English win in 1998 after a breathtakingly record-setting performance at the Midlands Grand National. Steering Miss Orchestra, Geraghty’s triumph at Uttoxeter greatly delighted the horse’s trainer Jessica Harrington.

In 2002, Geraghty pulled off a thrilling Cheltenham performance aboard Moscow Flyer, another of Jessica Harrington’s horses. As such, it could be argued that he owes much of his enduring racing glory and popularity to his evidently fruitful Jessica-Geraghty training partnership.

By August 2013, Barry Geraghty had already earned more than 1,000 noteworthy career wins, shortly after a treble at Cork Racecourse in Ireland. Included in this golden sporting profile are achievements such as the Champion Hurdle(2009), the Arkle Challenge Trophy(2009), four Cheltenham wins, a total of five Champion Chase victories and many more besides.

One of the more talented horse trainers and jockeys of all time, Adrian Maguire is a jockey of Irish origin. Maguire was born on 29th April 1971 in Kilmessan – County Meath. Although he’s has since retired from racing, his achievements and influence on the future of Irish racing will definitely endure.

One of the most interesting facts about Maguire is that his professional riding retirement didn’t mean he’d lost touch with the racing fraternity. Intead, much like Lester Piggott and others, the former jockey still owns a thriving stable.

Maguire began his lifelong riding career at the unbelievably young age of 9 years. Throughout his formative stages of his career he managed to win a series of more than 200 races while still under 18 years. 1990 was a uniquely lucky year for the rising star as he clinched his first triumph at Sligo.

Although the frequently victorious Maguire steered up to 194 winners during the 1993/94 racing season alone, he failed to clinch the jockey’s championship. Losing by a tiny margin of three to a tough rival, Richard Dunwoody, this development however strengthened his resolve to work harder for future racing glory.

In total, Adrian Maguire achieved a whopping 1,024 wins and has often been described as the finest jockey ever who unsuccessfully fought for the British jump racing Champion Jockey. After breakin news of retirement at just 31 years, the Maguire has concentrated on his aforementioned training career.