The rush I get is like winning the Grand National
Reality show is filling gap after Davy’s retirement from racing
FORMER champion jockey Davy Russell said the adrenaline rush he gets on Dancing with the Stars is like winning the Grand National.
The three-time jump racing champion said the RTE reality show is filling the void for excitement since he retired in 2022.
Davy, 44, topped the leader board last Sunday with his pro partner Kylee Vincent, winning immunity from tonight’s dance off.
The Cork man became the first jockey since Brian Fletcher on Red Rum in 1974 to win backto-back Grand Nationals on Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019.
But when asked about the buzz of the dance contest he replied: “It’s like the Grand National every Sunday night for me.
“It’s so exciting, it’s huge. I get a fair adrenaline rush walking down the steps on Dancing with the Stars. I’m filling that void.”
In January last year he announced that he’d get back on the saddle one last time to help longtime pal Gordon Elliot after his stable jockey Jack Kennedy broke his leg in a fall.
QUESTIONED
Davy continued: “A lot of people questioned why I came back after breaking my neck.
“People had me gone and I was finished as I was 41, but I wasn’t ready.
“When I rode and finished, I maxed out to the absolute limit.
“My second last ride was in the Grand National and my last was at the Aintree Festival.
“When I rode my last horse I was happy to hand over the keys.”
Davy recalled how after his serious neck break at the Munster National in Limerick in 2020 his career was almost over.
He added: “My horse got unbalanced and slid along the ground. I got spear tackled into the ground head first.
“So the top of my head hit the ground. It compressed down and crushed one vertebrae.
“I had a lightning bolt come out through my thumb and a numb feeling.
“They put me in a suction bed, there was no movement.
“My surgeon told me my neck would be stronger after the operation.
“I was questioning whether my career would be gone or not.”
The dad-of-five said he can’t stop his kids from following in his footsteps despite the risks.
Davy continued: “At no stage in my career did I ever think I was going to get a fall off the horse.
“For my baby kids to get injured that would be a huge worry, yes. But I don’t think like that.
“At the moment, they want to ride ponies. We have ponies and we ride them and they put in a
My horse got unbalanced and slid. I got spear tackled into the ground head first
lot of effort and they are living their best life and they’re enjoying it. So I take the enjoyment from it rather than the risk.
“We try to outweigh the risks by trying to do it properly and safely. So when they’re old enough to make up their own mind I’m not going to tell them to go one way or the other.” Wife Edelle pushed Davy into doing Dancing with the Stars. Davy, who will perform a tango on tonight’s show, explained: “She was the one that wanted me to do it and pushed me. “I’ve never seen the kids so excited, it’s helping them in so many ways. Every weekend they’re making posters, they’re doing their art and their little performances.” “I get fan mail from the kids around the country, they all have a horseshoe on them and a picture of Kylee. Davy admitted he was a not happy that he
was a long-shot to win at the start of the contest.
He joked: “I was 50/1 at one stage and all my friends were reminding me that I’m going down in the betting, I was a bit offended at the 50/1.”
Never a betting man, he prefers to keep his money. Davy said: “I went to the breeders’ cup this year and I did back some horses. I lost money doing it and it reminded me, I have no interest in betting.”
“I love the craic, I don’t drink, I love singing songs and jumping around the place, I go out to have fun.”
The ex-jockey said if he was a betting man he’d put money on a Gordan Elliot trained horse at Cheltenham. He said: “Gordon has some
I love singing songs and jumping around the place, I go out to have fun
extremely good young horses. Romeo Coolio, I have a soft spot for him.
“He’s a young horse, there’s a lot unknown with him.”
“I would love to go to Cheltenham and watch the races, the horses that win at Cheltenham there’s just something about them.
“The only worry is I’d hate to be standing there like a spare part, I’d rather go there and be working.” ■ Dancing with the Stars continues at 6.30pm this evening on RTE One.