43 Facts About Tony McCoy

Tony McCoy has won almost every major horse race on the British and Irish jumps circuit.

Tony McCoy was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2010, becoming the first jockey to win the award, and in December 2013 he was named RTE Sports Person of the Year.

Tony McCoy rode his first winner of his career on the Jim Bolger trained Legal Steps, in a flat race at Thurles racecourse in Ireland, on 26 March 1992 at the age of 17.

Tony McCoy served as an apprentice at Jim Bolger's stable for the initial part of his career.

Whilst riding work for Bolger one morning, Tony McCoy suffered a nasty fall and broke his leg on the gallops.

Tony McCoy had burst on the scene as a result of his first season riding in Britain and soon attracted the attention of leading trainer Martin Pipe and, then, upcoming Paul Nicholls.

Tony McCoy joined forces with powerful trainer Martin Pipe in 1997 and between them they proved to be an exceptionally strong partnership which dominated the sport.

Tony McCoy went on to beat the long-standing record of Gordon Richards for the total number of winners ridden in a season, which stood since 1947.

Tony McCoy has said he counts this as his biggest achievement, despite his multiple Champion Jockey titles and big race victories.

Tony McCoy beat Richards' record of 269 winners in a season on Valfonic at Warwick on 2 April 2002.

Tony McCoy achieved a new high of 289 winners, and on 27 August 2002, at Uttoxeter, his victory on Mighty Montefalco meant he had surpassed Richard Dunwoody's all time jumps record and was now the leading jumps jockey.

Tony McCoy became the first jump jockey to ride 2,500 winners when getting Kanpai up to score at Huntingdon on 3 October 2006.

In 2012, Tony McCoy won his second Cheltenham Gold Cup on Synchronised, trained by Jonjo O'Neill and owned by JP McManus, 15 years after his first Gold Cup win on Mr Mulligan.

Tony McCoy's winning ride on Synchronised typified his career as a jockey.

Tony McCoy, who spent seven nights in hospital, returned to action a month later at Ludlow and immediately opened his account for the season on the JP McManus owned horse Church Field.

Tony McCoy sealed his 4000th career win riding the Jonjo O'Neill trained Mountain Tunes, in the colours of owner JP McManus, to a hard-fought victory in the Weatherbys Novices' Hurdle at Towcester on 7 November 2013.

On 30 November 2013, Tony McCoy had the choice to ride at Newbury, or Newcastle.

Tony McCoy rode My Tent Or Yours to victory in the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, which eventually turned out to be a good decision as on the same day, At Fishers Cross flopped in the Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury.

On 10 June 2014, Tony McCoy recorded his fastest ever half century of winners for a season after riding the Rebecca Curtis trained Bob Keown to victory at Worcester Racecourse.

On 19 July 2014, Tony McCoy reached a significant personal milestone by surpassing the total of 4,191 winners which friend and mentor Martin Pipe achieved as a licensed trainer before retirement in 2006.

Tony McCoy recorded winner number 4,192 by guiding the Jonjo O'Neill trained It's A Gimme to victory in the Betfred Summer Plate Listed Handicap Chase at Market Rasen Racecourse.

Tony McCoy enjoyed a long period of success as stable jockey to the 15 time Champion Trainer Martin Pipe.

Tony McCoy's last ride as a professional was at the Bet365 Gold Cup meeting at Sandown in April 2015.

Tony McCoy had previously spent seven years as Martin Pipe's first jockey and many within racing were surprised of his decision to split from the successful Pipe stable.

Tony McCoy has won a further 10 jockey titles since their separation.

Tony McCoy often rode horses trained by Jonjo O'Neill in addition to those owned by McManus.

When he was not required to ride for McManus or O'Neill, Tony McCoy had struck up a number of links with leading national hunt trainers.

Tony McCoy rode a number of horses for Welsh-based trainer Rebecca Curtis.

Tony McCoy linked up with powerful trainer Nicky Henderson when his first jockey Barry Geraghty was riding in Ireland.

Tony McCoy was most commonly associated with the green and gold hooped silks of McManus.

Tony McCoy was named 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year and in doing so became the first jockey to win the award, polling ahead of darts player Phil Taylor and Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis, who finished second and third place respectively.

Tony McCoy received 293,152 votes, which was more than former winners Joe Calzaghe, Sir Chris Hoy or Ryan Giggs.

Tony McCoy finished in third place behind the winner Andy Murray and runner up Leigh Halfpenny.

Tony McCoy was named 2013 RTE Irish Sports Personality of the Year on 21 December 2013.

Tony McCoy has friendships with other footballers, including former Liverpool duo Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler, who engaged him and Martin Pipe for Cheltenham.

In October 2013, Tony McCoy joined BBC Radio 5 Live as a racing pundit every Friday evening on the "5 Live Sport" programme hosted by Dan Walker.

In 2017, his wife, Chanelle Tony McCoy was unveiled as the new dragon in RTE's Dragons' Den, replacing former dragon Eamonn Quinn.

Lester Awards: Tony McCoy has been honoured with 20 Lester Awards during his riding career to date, the most of any jockey past or present.

Tony McCoy was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2003 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2010 Birthday Honours for his services to horse racing.

In December 2010, Tony McCoy was named Sportsman of the Year at the British Sports Awards in London, voted for by the Sports Journalists' Association.

In 2010, Tony McCoy won the 'Jump off the Sofa Moment' Award at the Jaguar Academy of Sport Annual Awards ceremony for his Grand National win.

In December 2013, Tony McCoy was officially awarded three Guinness World Records.

Tony McCoy was knighted in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to horse racing.