Jockeys are used to charging around horseracing tracks as fast as possible. But which of them most love their vehicles? The following are some jockeys who have spoken out about how much they enjoy getting out of the saddle and behind the wheel.
Frankie Dettori
It was reported by Great British Racing that the average jump jockey in the UK drives 70,000 miles each year, traveling to and from races. Imagine the distance covered by Frankie Dettori in his glittering, globe-trotting career covering close to three decades?
The Italian suffered a serious injury when he was injured in a plane crash as he traveled between races in 2002, so it is clear that he doesn’t always drive everywhere. However, he was once spotted in a glamorous soft-top Maserati GranCabrio at the opening of his new restaurant.
He revealed in an interview that his first ever car was a modest Mazda 323 before upgrading to a Mercedes 190. After years of incredible success on the racing circuit, he finally treated himself to a stunning Ferrari and has owned a string of other great cars throughout his career.
Richard Dunwoody
A hugely successful horse racing career saw Dunwoody win the Grand National in the UK twice. When he retired from the sport in 1991, he launched himself into a thrilling lifestyle in which he has traveled the world carrying out extreme adventures and helping charities to raise money.
However, in an interview with ESPN, he pointed out that he has been a “big car addict” for as long as he can remember. Dunwoody is a huge fan of F1 and also competed in Formula First for a couple of seasons before becoming a jockey.
Perhaps his most thrilling adventure came in the 2004 Gumball Rally, where he teamed up with Clement Wilson to compete in a Volvo V70R against a field of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches. This led to a book recalling the adventure, called Our Gumball Rally.
Hugh Bowman
Australian jockey Hugh Bowman is best known for riding Winx, whom he rode to numerous victories until her retirement in 2019. He has compared high-end cars to thoroughbred cars, as they have “a certain calm to them” as well as immense power.
His first car was a Holden Commodore that he crashed into the back of a police vehicle that had stopped in the middle of the street. Bowman then moved up through a range of increasingly exciting automobiles, before ending up with a V8-powered Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG that he described as “performance with class and elegance.”
At the time of his latest interview, he drove a Mercedes-Benz Parramatta but he says that his dream ride is the Bugatti Chiron.
Blake Spriggs
Spriggs is another Australian jockey with a love of cars. Before the 2016 Melbourne Cup, he posted details on Twitter of how he had taken a Ferrari California for a test drive, joking that he might buy it if he won the race. If you plan to bet on horses in the Kentucky Derby through Twinspires.com or some other race, be sure to check your potential winnings before planning which car to buy.
Sadly, he didn’t win, as Almandin was home first, with jockey Kerrin McEvoy riding to victory. At the time of that tweet, he had recently replaced his Audi R8 for an Audi S6. The jockey said that he has “always had nice cars because I enjoy them”. He says that this is his reward, instead of living a party lifestyle.
Spriggs also pointed out that he worked as an automobile salesman for a few months when he had to take a break from horse racing due to a broken ankle.