FITTING ADIEU TO RACING STARS
KUDOS to RTE and Robert Hall for such a great interview with Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh, whose contribution to Irish racing was beautifully captured after their retirements at Punchestown.
Hall correctly said that they “transformed the landscape” for female jump jockeys and that’s clear already in the number of successful women following them, to whom Carberry herself paid tribute on-air.
She only told Walsh her plan to retire when they were walking the course last Tuesday and was surprised when her sister-in-law promptly informed her that she was taking the same decision.
They both, fittingly, went out on a winner and Jamie Codd, another top amateur, was there to salute them, saying: “They wouldn’t give you a millimetre!”
Walsh and Carberry weren’t the first successful female jockeys in Ireland – Joanna Morgan springs to mind – but their consistency, big wins and open personalities surely changed the minds of some who still didn’t think women could be as good as men over jumps.
On top of all their individual success, that is a magnificent legacy to leave to their sport. belt to her afterwards as she will get her own ‘Irish’ version.
Unbeaten after nine fights, Taylor wants to unify all four world lightweight belts by the end of 2018.
However, Irish fans, who are her most loyal and ardent, are getting increasingly impatient for her longawaited home pro debut.