Richard ‘Richie’ McLernon hails from Churchtown, near Mallow, County Cork and is, of course, the nephew of Tommy Carmody, who won the Irish Jump Jockeys’ Championship twice, in 1985 and 1988. He rode his first winner, of any description, Killultagh Thunder, trained by Adrian Maguire, on Punchestown Point-to-Point Course on February 13, 2005 and added four more ‘point winners, all trained by Maguire, during his last year at school. After completing his education, aged 18, McLernon joined Lombardstown trainer Eugene O’Sullivan, for whom he rode his first winner under Rules, Teo Perugo, in a handicap chase at Tralee on June 20, 2006.
After riding half a dozen winners under Rules in his native land, four in 2006/07 and two in 2007/08, McLernon sought to further his career by crossing the Irish Sea to join Jonjo O’Neill in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. His initial two-week trial proved successful and, having ridden his first winner on British soil, Castlecrossings, owned by John Patrick ‘J.P.’ McManus and trained by O’Neill, in a mares’ novices’ hurdle at Towcester on October 28, 2007, McLernon has been a fixture at Jackdaws Castle ever since.
McLernon, 37, enjoyed his most successful season so far, numerically and fiscally, in 2023/24, when he rode 39 winners from 339 rides, at a strike rate of 12%, and amassed nearly £397,000 in total prize money. At the time of writing, he lies ninth in the 2024/25 British Jump Jockeys’ Champopmship, having ridden 14 winners from 92 rides, at a strike rate of 15%.
McLernon has three Cheltenham Festival winners to his name, namely Alfie Sherrin, in the JLT Specialty Handicap Chase in 2012 and Holywell, twice, in the Petemps Final in 2013 and the
Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase in 2014. He has never won the Grand National, but came closer than most when touched off by the minimum margin, a nose, on Sunnyhillboy in 2012.
