Legendary jockey Davy Russell has announced his retirement from horse racing, following a victory at Thurles this afternoon.
The 43-year-old Corkonian is a two-time winner of the Grand National, and as 22 victories wins Cheltenham, including a Gold Cup win.
His Grand National victories came with his most famous horse, Tiger Roll, with Russell stating, "I’ll never forget my first winner or forget my last, but it is hard to get away from Tiger Roll."
He also showed immense courage when he came back after a horrific vertebrae injury he suffered in 2020, which nearly left him paralysed.
Davy Russell Announces His Retirement
🚨 BREAKING: Davy Russell, one of the greatest jump jockeys of all time, has announced his retirement after riding Liberty Dance to victory at Thurles. pic.twitter.com/kCBZ0PFTTU
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) December 18, 2022
READ HERE: Watch: Emotional Davy Russell Dedicates Grand National Success To Former Cork Star
"It is a special time and it is great to do it here, as Thurles is the centre of our sport and it's great to do it here," said Russell.
"Racing was called off for so long and I had it in my mind to retire when I had my next winner.
"When I broke my neck I got a bit of a shock. People thought I was going to retire – if the injury stopped me fine, but I was happy to do it on my own terms.
"It is testament to my family who never questioned my decisions, albeit how strange at the time they seemed. But I was of the opinion I needed something to push me through the rehabilitation and the best incentive was getting back to ride.
"I didn’t decide until the day I was declared to ride a horse again that I was going to come back because it was hard work. The flex in my neck wasn’t working properly at the time, but I’m good now. I have aches and pains, but I’m not going to blame that, it is just time."
SEE ALSO: Davy Russell Had A '10 Percent Chance' Of Walking After Vertebrae Injury
