British jump racing Champion Jockey

In Great Britain's National Hunt racing, the title of Champion Jockey is bestowed on the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a racing season. From its inception in 1900 through to 1925, the award was given to the jockey who had ridden the most winners during a calendar year (January to December). Beginning in 1926, this changed, instead identifying the jockey who had ridden the most winners during a campaign season; the 1926 winner was rewarded for the 1925–26 season, for example.

Tony McCoy has been Champion Jockey a record 20 times.

Tony McCoy was Champion Jockey 20 times, which is more than any other winner; he also recorded the most wins in a season, with 289 in the 2001–02 season.[1] The award has been shared on three occasions: in 1944–45, in 1968–69,[2] and in 1981–82. Over the years, three amateurs have won the title, though none more recently than 1919.[3] One of them, Jack Anthony, won both as an amateur (in 1914)[3] and as a professional (in 1922). Racing was suspended for several years during World War II, which meant there was no Champion Jockey in 1943 or 1944.

In the 2015–16 season for the first time the championship was rewarded with prize money, with the 2015–16 champion receiving £15,000 and smaller prizes being awarded down to fifth place. Any Champion Jockey who wins the championship from 2016 onwards will receive the new trophy designed by Asprey and chosen by Sir AP McCoy after the previous one was gifted to Sir AP upon his retirement.[4] [5]

Champion jockeys

Table Legend

  (*) Title given for calendar year rather than campaign season

Season	Jockey	Status	Winners	Reference
2019–20	Brian Hughes	Professional	141	[6]
2018–19	Richard Johnson	Professional	200	[7]
2017–18	Richard Johnson	Professional	176	[8]
2016–17	Richard Johnson	Professional	180
2015–16	Richard Johnson	Professional	235	[9]
2014–15	Tony McCoy	Professional	231	[10]
2013–14	Tony McCoy	Professional	218	[11]
2012–13	Tony McCoy	Professional	185	[12]
2011–12	Tony McCoy	Professional	199	[13]
2010–11	Tony McCoy	Professional	218	[14]
2009–10	Tony McCoy	Professional	195	[15]
2008–09	Tony McCoy	Professional	186	[16]
2007–08	Tony McCoy	Professional	140	[17]
2006–07	Tony McCoy	Professional	184	[18]
2005–06	Tony McCoy	Professional	178	[19]
2004–05	Tony McCoy	Professional	200	[17]
2003–04	Tony McCoy	Professional	209	[17]
2002–03	Tony McCoy	Professional	258	[17]
2001–02	Tony McCoy	Professional	289	[1]
2000–01	Tony McCoy	Professional	191
1999–2000	Tony McCoy	Professional	245
1998–99	Tony McCoy	Professional	186
1997–98	Tony McCoy	Professional	253	[1]
1996–97	Tony McCoy	Professional	190
1995–96	Tony McCoy	Professional	175
1994–95	Richard Dunwoody	Professional	160	[20]
1993–94	Richard Dunwoody	Professional	197	[20]
1992–93	Richard Dunwoody	Professional	173	[20]
1991–92	Peter Scudamore	Professional	175	[21]
1990–91	Peter Scudamore	Professional	141	[21]
1989–90	Peter Scudamore	Professional	170	[21]
1988–89	Peter Scudamore	Professional	221	[21]
1987–88	Peter Scudamore	Professional	132	[21]
1986–87	Peter Scudamore	Professional	123	[21]
1985–86	Peter Scudamore	Professional	91	[21]
1984–85	John Francome	Professional	101
1983–84	John Francome	Professional	131	[22]
1982–83	John Francome	Professional	106
1981–82	John Francome / Peter Scudamore	Professional	120	[21]
1980–81	John Francome	Professional	105
1979–80	Jonjo O'Neill	Professional	115
1978–79	John Francome	Professional	95
1977–78	Jonjo O'Neill	Professional	149	[23]
1976–77	Tommy Stack	Professional	97	[24]
1975–76	John Francome	Professional	96
1974–75	Tommy Stack	Professional	82	[24]
1973–74	Ron Barry	Professional	94
1972–73	Ron Barry	Professional	125	[23]
1971–72	Bob Davies	Professional	89
1970–71	Graham Thorner	Professional	74
1969–70	Bob Davies	Professional	91	[22]
1968–69	Terry Biddlecombe / Bob Davies	Professional	77	[2]
1967–68	Josh Gifford	Professional	82
1966–67	Josh Gifford	Professional	122	[25]
1965–66	Terry Biddlecombe	Professional	102	[2]
1964–65	Terry Biddlecombe	Professional	114	[2]
1963–64	Josh Gifford	Professional	94
1962–63	Josh Gifford	Professional	70
1961–62	Stan Mellor	Professional	80	[22]
1960–61	Stan Mellor	Professional	118
1959–60	Stan Mellor	Professional	68
1958–59	Tim Brookshaw	Professional	83
1957–58	Fred Winter	Professional	82
1956–57	Fred Winter	Professional	80
1955–56	Fred Winter	Professional	74
1954–55	Tim Molony	Professional	67	[26]
1953–54	Dick Francis	Professional	76	[27]
1952–53	Fred Winter	Professional	121	[28]
1951–52	Tim Molony	Professional	99
1950–51	Tim Molony	Professional	83
1949–50	Tim Molony	Professional	95
1948–49	Tim Molony	Professional	60
1947–48	Bryan Marshall	Professional	66
1946–47	Jack Dowdeswell	Professional	58
1945–46	Fred Rimell	Professional	54
1944–45	Frenchie Nicholson / Fred Rimell	Professional	15
1943–44	Racing suspended	–
1942–43	Racing suspended	–
1941–42	Ron Smyth	Professional	12
1940–41	Gerry Wilson	Professional	22
1939–40	Fred Rimell	Professional	24
1938–39	Fred Rimell	Professional	61
1937–38	Gerry Wilson	Professional	59
1936–37	Gerry Wilson	Professional	45
1935–36	Gerry Wilson	Professional	57
1934–35	Gerry Wilson	Professional	73
1933–34	Gerry Wilson	Professional	56
1932–33	Gerry Wilson	Professional	61
1931–32	Billy Stott	Professional	77
1930–31	Billy Stott	Professional	81
1929–30	Billy Stott	Professional	77
1928–29	Billy Stott	Professional	76
1927–28	Billy Stott	Professional	88
1926–27	Fred Rees	Professional	59
1925–26	Ted Leader	Professional	61	[29]
1925*	E. Foster	Professional	76
1924*	Fred Rees	Professional	108
1923*	Fred Rees	Professional	64
1922*	Jack Anthony	Professional	78
1921*	Fred Rees	Professional	65
1920*	Fred Rees	Professional	64
1919*	H. Brown	Amateur	48	[3]
1918*	George Duller	Professional	17
1917*	W. Smith	Professional	15
1916*	C. Hawkins	Professional	17
1915*	Ernie Piggott	Professional	44
1914*	Jack Anthony	Amateur	60	[3]
1913*	Ernie Piggott	Professional	60
1912*	Ivor Anthony	Professional	78	[3]
1911*	W. Payne	Professional	76
1910*	Ernie Piggott	Professional	67
1909*	R. Gordon	Professional	45
1908*	P. Cowley	Professional	65
1907*	Frank Mason	Professional	59
1906*	Frank Mason	Professional	58
1905*	Frank Mason	Professional	73
1904*	Frank Mason	Professional	59
1903*	Percy Woodland	Professional	54
1902*	Frank Mason	Professional	67
1901*	Frank Mason	Professional	58
1900*	H. S. Sidney	Amateur	53

Records

• Most titles - 20, Tony McCoy
• Most consecutive titles - 20, Tony McCoy (1995–2015)
• Most wins in a season - 289, Tony McCoy (2001–2002)
• Most runner-up finishes - 17 Richard Johnson

See also

• British jump racing Champion Trainer
• British flat racing Champion Jockey
• British flat racing Champion Trainer

References

1. "University honour for McCoy". BBC. 3 July 2002. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
2. Birley 1995, p. 49
3. Birley 1995, p. 158
4. "STOBART GROUP CONTINUES SUPPORT OF JUMP JOCKEYS' CHAMPIONSHIP" (pdf). The Professional Jockeys Association. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
5. "NEW CHAMPION JUMP JOCKEY TROPHY UNVEILED" (pdf). Racing Post. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
6. Lysaght, Cornelius (6 April 2020). "Brian Hughes wins champion jockey title from Richard Johnson". BBC Sport.
7. "Paul Nicholls captures 11th crown and has Martin Pipe record firmly in sight". Racing Post. 27 April 2019.
8. "Richard Johnson: Champion jump jockey hopes to maintain dominance". BBC Sport. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
9. "Richard Johnson becomes champion jockey for first time after 16 runner-up finishes". BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
10. "Tony McCoy wins by season". Racing Post. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
11. "British Jump Jockeys Championship 2014/15". thepja.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
12. "Roll of Honour: Britain". Racing Post. London. 28 April 2013.
13. "British Jump Jockey Championship". Professional Jockey Association. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
14. "British Jump Jockey Championship". Professional Jockey Association. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
15. "Tony McCoy picks up 15th champion jockey title". BBC News. 24 April 2010.
16. Digler, Simon (25 April 2009). "Nicholls and McCoy reign again". SkySports. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
17. "British Jump Jockey Championship". Professional Jockey Association. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
18. "McCoy is champion jockey again". BBC. 29 April 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
19. "Inca wins horse of the year award". BBC. 15 May 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
20. Dunwoody, Richard (2000). Obsessed, An Autobiography. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7472-7218-2.
21. American Heritage Dictionary (2004). The Riverside dictionary of biography. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 716. ISBN 0-618-49337-9.
22. Fawcus, Charles (6 April 1999). "Racing: Richard the First; Record-Breaker Dunwoody Jumps Ahead of Scu". The Mirror. Retrieved 4 August 2014 – via Questia Online Library.
23. Vamplew, Wray; Joyce Kay (2003). Encyclopedia of British Horseracing. London; New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-7146-5356-X.
24. "Red Rum jockey in fight for life with viral illness". The Scotsman. 28 December 1998. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014 – via HighBeam Research.
25. Hannan, Martin (11 February 2012). "Josh Gifford". The Herald. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014 – via HighBeam Research.
26. "Road To Cheltenham: Champion Hurdle Legendary Jockeys". Archived from the original on 13 September 2012.
27. Wakeman, John, ed. (1980). World authors, 1970–1975. Bronx, NY: H. W. Wilson. p. 272. ISBN 0-8242-0641-X.
28. Griffiths, Richard (6 April 2004). "Obituary: Fred Winters". The Independent. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
29. Birley 1995, p. 159

• Birley, Derek (1995). Playing the game: sport and British society, 1910–45. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-4497-9.