Cheltenham Jockey Adrian Heskin Retires

Adrian Heskin was hailed as racing's biggest stars

A record-breaking Cheltenham Festival jockey has unexpectedly announced his retirement at 32, nearly a year after parting ways with a millionaire owner. Adrian Heskin was hailed as racing's "next big thing" after becoming the youngest ever Festival winner by guiding A New Story to victory in the 2010 Cross Country at age 17. This achievement propelled the Irishman into the spotlight, leading to further major wins and a partnership with prominent owner Max McNeill.

During their fruitful collaboration, the pair secured significant victories, including the 2017 Sefton Novices' Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting on The Worlds End, which earned over £56,000. They also celebrated another Grade 1 triumph when the same Tom George-trained horse won the £57,000 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December 2019.

However, the duo parted ways about a year ago, with McNeill citing it as a "financial decision." Over his 15-year career, Heskin amassed 432 wins and earned over £1.3 million from rides in Britain alone in the past five years. His notable victories include the 2010 bet365 Gold Cup with Michael Hourigan's Church Island and his first Grade 1 success on Martello Tower in the 2015 Albert Bartlett, a horse owned and trained by Willie Mullins' sister-in-law, Mags.

Heskin made the announcement on X, where punters expressed that it was "sad to hear." In his heartfelt message, the jockey wrote, "After 15 years of race-riding I've decided to call an end to my career. I'm very proud of my career and achieved far more than I could have imagined as a kid. I rode for the best of trainers on both sides of the Irish Sea and some fantastic owners along the way. Of course, some amazing horses too. My love for horses is stronger than ever and I owe everything I have to them. Here's to the future."

McNeill also wished Heskin well in a post from his McNeill Family X account, stating, "Congratulations to Adrian on an excellent career in the saddle. We had some great times together including two Grade 1 victories with The Worlds End and many other brilliant days. Adrian is an excellent horseman and he has a very bright future ahead and we wish him all the best!"

After his split from the McNeills, Heskin found it challenging to secure rides. His last Graded victory came at Limerick last December when he won aboard Mullins' Hauturiere by 35 lengths.