National Hunt racing legend Kicking King has died at the age of 25.

The gelding, who was trained by Tom Taaffe for owner Conor Clarkson, won 12 of his 28 starts, and was placed on another 11 occasions.

His greatest victories came in the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the King George VI Chase in both 2004 and 2005, all under Barry Geraghty. He won over £800,000 during his six and a half-year career.

Kicking King was retired from racing in 2008 and he took up residence among his fellow Living Legends at the Irish National Stud, alongside the likes of Hurricane Fly, Beef Or Salmon, Hardy Eustace and, in more recent years, Faugheen.

Kicking King’s death was announced by the Irish National Stud today (21 March).

“The Irish National Stud are deeply saddened to announce that the great Kicking King has passed away,” the statement read. “A legend in every sense of the word, Kicking King was second in a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, second in an Arkle and the winner of six Grade One races in an exceptional racing career. Back-to-back wins in the King George VI Chase sandwiched his greatest day in landing the blue riband of National Hunt racing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.”

His former trainer Tom Taaffe also paid tribute to the horse saying: “Kicking King was a natural, athletic horse with balance. A great horse for Conor Clarkson, Barry Geraghty and all our staff. He was an ambassador for racing and [had] a second life in the exceptional care of the Irish National Stud.”

Barry Geraghty echoed Tom’s thoughts saying of Kicking King: “He was a real star, a big powerful horse who loved his racing. He provided me, Conor Clarkson and Tom Taaffe with some special days. He put in brilliant performances winning the Gold Cup and two King Georges and gave us many more great days to remember. As a family we enjoyed visiting him in the National Stud where he had a lovely retirement and was so well cared for by everyone, especially Leona Harmon.”

The Living Legends area of the Irish National Stud is home to some of racing’s true greats, and provides these horses with a wonderful retirement home, where members of the public can visit them.

Irish National Stud CEO Cathal Beale said: “Kicking King was a gentle giant. He loved his legion of fans coming to visit him. He lived out his days receiving the greatest of care from all the team here. I would like to thank his connections for entrusting him to us and pay special tribute to Leona Harmon who has been at his side throughout and has cared for him with great affection. He will be deeply missed by all of us who had the good fortune to be in his presence.”

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The brilliant racehorse Monty’s Pass, who won the 2003 Grand National with jockey Barry Geraghty, has died at the age of 29.

The Jimmy Mangan-trained gelding won eight of his 57 races and was placed in dozens more during an impressive career over fences. Among his greatest achievements were winning the Kerry National in 2002 and the Aintree showpiece the following year.

He retired from the sport in 2005 and lived out his days at the Mangan family’s farm in Cork and was the oldest living Grand National winner until his death last week, shortly before his 30th birthday.

His regular jockey Barry Geraghty credits Monty’s Pass for giving him one of the greatest moments in his career and he last visited the “brilliant” gelding in September.

“I couldn’t believe how alert and sharp he was – you’d never think for a second he was getting close to 30,” Barry told H&H. “Unfortunately he just slipped away last week.

“Jimmy and the whole Mangan family have been great friends of mine over the years so we’d always be chatting about him. We even brought our kids down to visit him in 2019 which was great – even our youngest son got to sit up on him and we got some great photos.

“He was so well cared for by the Mangan family and the lads on the yard, he’ll be very sadly missed down there.”

The son of Montelimar started out in point-to-pointing before he went chasing, and Barry first took the reins on a seven-year-old Monty’s Pass in 2000. The pair finished fifth in the Mildmay of Fleet Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in 2002 and came second in the Topham Chase over the Aintree fences shortly afterwards, but their standout moment came in 2003 when they won the Grand National by a staggering 12 lengths in the colours of the Dee Racing Syndicate.

“When you dream of winning the Grand National as a kid, it’s a titanic struggle all the way to the line and you win by a short head, you never dream of winning the Grand National celebrating with 100 yards to go,” said Barry, who was just 23 when he claimed the sport’s most famous race. “The race was just plain sailing for him – it was just ridiculously easy how it all unfolded. It was just magic.

“The Grand National is the race everyone wants to win, so to win one so early in my career was unbelievable. He was brilliant round there, he was just such a good jumper. The National is all about jumping, obviously, but he was just so neat and nimble, quick and clever, he was an armchair ride for a young jockey at Aintree.”

Trainer Jimmy Mangan had targeted the 2003 Grand National and, according to Barry, the conditions were ideal for Monty’s Pass that year.

“The ground was key to him – he needed good ground and the better the ground the better he was,” said Barry. “So once the ground came right for him, with the way he jumped and he had the perfect weight, 10st 7lb, the conditions were ideal so as much as you can fancy a horse for that race, we did.

“He was fourth in the race the following year with top weight – the ground was probably a bit slow for him – then he retired after the next one.”

“He also won the Kerry National at Listowel [in 2002] and his jumping was key that day too because there were a good few fallers. But he excelled round Aintree because it’s the ultimate jumping test. I never rode another horse like him round Aintree, he was just so clever. Absolute dynamite.”

The trainer’s daughter Jane Mangan told RTE on Sunday: “A few days ago my family said goodbye to the horse that made their dreams reality.

“The day was always going to come, it was always going to be sad, but rather than it be sad, we are grateful to have had him and for him to prove that fairytales do come true for ordinary people.”

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Constitution Hill, a five-year-old gelding by Blue Bresil and owned by Michael Buckley, was awe-inspiring when cruising to an incredible 22-length victory in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival this afternoon (15 March).

Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico De Boinville, he looked to be in a different league from his rivals in terms of class.

But so laid-back is Constitution Hill that Barry Geraghty’s six-year-old daughter was tasked with helping to school and ride him as a three-year-old and, as you can see from the video, they struck up a lovely partnership.

“I love his disposition,” says jockey Nico de Boinville. “He’s so relaxed. He just eats, sleeps and goes out like a pony. He wanders round at the start and does everything so easily. He is push-button to ride, honestly a jockey’s dream.

“He’s such a likeable horse. He answers every question and everything seems to be so easy for him. He’s always within his comfort zone, so it seems.”

In Nico de Boinville’s mind he is already up there with Supreme winners Altior and Shishkin in terms of raw ability.

“This is some horse, quite an animal,” he says.

When Constitution Hill won the Grade One Tolworth Novies’ Hurdle at Sandown in January, trainer Nicky Henderson had to watch the race on television, while he sat out a bout of Covid. He said at the time: “Even I thought he was impressive,” he said. “What we saw was better than any medicine – that’ll kill Covid I can tell you, watching something like that. He was spectacular. We hoped he might be.

“There had been a lot of hype from one run but he’s an extraordinary horse and just to go round there and do that was frightening, to be honest with you.”

But even Henderson described the horse as “asleep” most of the time.

“He’s a sheep,” he says: “Let’s just hope that the future shines for this horse. He could be enormous but as everyone knows you need an awful lot of luck on your side for things to go forward, but the future looks bright.”

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news and updates from the Cheltenham Festival via the Horse & Hound website and read the full report in the 24 March issue of the magazine

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The 40-year-old jockey announced he was hanging up his boots over the weekend

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Moscow Flyer and Barry Geraghty forged a spectacular partnership during an epic era in jump racing. The Jessica Harrington-trained gelding won 26 races from 44 starts, including 13 Grade Ones with Barry in the saddle, claiming two Champion Chases and an Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival, and the Tingle Creek at Sandown twice.

But brilliant as Moscow was on the racecourse, his bold, fearless jumping sometimes resulted in near-catastrophic mishaps and it was early on in Moscow’s career that Barry remembers a crashing fall that very nearly ended in disaster.

In the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2001, a traditional outing for all Ireland’s top two-mile hurdlers, Moscow reached dramatically for the second last hurdle, resulting in a “crashing fall” according to his trainer. Both Moscow and Barry skidded some 20 yards across the turf but instead of then careering off with the rest of the field, as Moscow usually would, the gelding stood motionless – with Barry dangling beneath him.

“I was semi-concussed, hanging out of the stirrup but just managed to wiggle enough to get free,” remembers Barry, whose boot had caught in the iron. “But those seconds feel like minutes. I’d say Moscow was a bit dazed from the fall but he just stood there long enough for me to get free. He was looking out for me that day.”

This race was one of three eyeball-to-eyeball duels between Moscow Flyer and the mighty Istabraq during Moscow’s hurdling years. Moscow would utilise every ounce of his raw, exhilarating jumping style, but in each of their three battles either Moscow or Istabraq crashed out, allowing the other a confident victory, and it was Istabraq who triumphed that day at Leopardstown.

Moscow would have his turn in the winner’s enclosure three months later at the same track when winning the Irish champion hurdle. The race would seal a stellar hurdling career before he stepped up to fences and the rest, as they say, is history.

• You can read the full amazing story of Moscow Flyer in Horse & Hound’s Legends Of The Sport series, in the shops on Thursday 17 March.
• We’ll be bringing you the best of the action from this week’s Cheltenham Festival (15-18 March) both online and in print in next week’s issue (24 March) of H&H.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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If anyone knows a thing or two about riding Cheltenham Festival winners, it’s Barry Geraghty. The great jump jockey retired in 2020 with 1,920 winners to his name, 43 of which came at the annual Cheltenham extravaganza where he rode a string of big name winners including Bobs Worth, Sprinter Sacre and Moscow Flyer, in all four championship races – the Gold Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and Stayers’ Hurdle.

As he tells H&H racing editor Jennifer Donald on this week’s episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, achieving success at Cheltenham “means more than any other winner”.

“Riding at the Festival is much more intense because this is what the whole season is about,” says Barry. “There’s a lot at stake, on a personal level for any jockey, because they want success – it means more than any other winner – so the intensity is different.

“You’re so focused on what you’re doing during each race because anything can happen. You have to expect the unexpected. If you’re not fully focussed on what you’re doing, you won’t be prepared to make that instant decision which could be left, right, up, down, pull, push, anything,” he adds.

“You work on instincts and Cheltenham to me is an instinct track because it’s so challenging and so different – decisions are instant and if you’re not fully focussed on everything that’s going on around you, you won’t get those instinctive decisions right.

“But you also learn from your defeats. Respect that hill and don’t be in a rush to take it on.”

Barry will be returning as a spectator to Prestbury Park for this year’s Cheltenham Festival (15-18 March), having hung up his boots not long after riding an outstanding five winners at the 2020 event.

“I’ve had a two-year detox from the Festival!” he says. “I’m experiencing racing from a very different place now than I have for the past 20-plus years.

“This year, as a spectator, I’m so excited – but in a completely different way from when I was going there with fancied rides. There’s more expectation when you’re riding, there’s a level of anxiety, there’s a nervous tension, there’s pressure, there’s stress, but as a jockey you don’t recognise them because this is how you are. But as a spectator, you’re breezing in, you’re looking forward to the clashes – it’s a very different place.”

Barry’s grandfather Laurence Geraghty bred the five-time Gold Cup winner Golden Miller and the Festival was a huge part of his childhood.

“Desert Orchid beating Yahoo would be one of my earliest Cheltenham memories,” says Barry. “My first ride there was in 1998 and I was hooked.”

His first Festival winner came in the 2002 Arkle on the great Moscow Flyer, with whom he went on to win two Champion Chases at the Cheltenham Festival.

“I had the luxury of saluting the crowd before I got to the line,” says Barry. “Any winner at Cheltenham is brilliant, but to break your duck in a race like the Arkle at the time was magical.

“I was lucky to ride many great horses over the years,” he says. “Every race is special, but the Gold Cup is the monster of the week and if you can win that, you’ve bagged the big one.”

Describing the feeling of crossing the finish line in front at Cheltenham, he adds: ‘The decibel level from two strides before the line to two strides after the line just goes through the roof.”

• Hear more from Barry Geraghty as he talks about Sprinter Sacre, Moscow Flyer, the mistakes he learned from and the horse who could tempt him out of retirement on episode 93 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – listen here or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.
• You can read more about Barry’s memories of Moscow Flyer in next week’s issue of Horse & Hound, in the shops on Thursday, 17 March.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

In our 93rd weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, H&H’s Jennifer Donald talks to legendary former jump jockey Barry Geraghty, looking ahead to next week’s Cheltenham Festival. He talks about the pressure of riding at this event, which is the highlight of the jump racing calendar. H&H’s Pippa Roome then catches up with the H&H news team to discuss the staff crisis in the horse industry, how research into horse vision is making racing and eventing safer and the initial outcome of an investigation into last year’s equine herpes outbreak in Europe. Finally, hunting vet Helen Van Tuyll is back to give us some advice into roughing horses off as the hunting season comes to an end. We hope you’ll enjoy listening.

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• View all episodes of The Horse & Hound Podcast

In our 93rd weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, H&H’s Jennifer Donald talks to legendary former jump jockey Barry Geraghty, looking ahead to next week’s Cheltenham Festival. He talks about the pressure of riding at this event, which is the highlight of the jump racing calendar.

H&H’s Pippa Roome then catches up with the H&H news team to discuss the staff crisis in the horse industry, how research into horse vision is making racing and eventing safer and the initial outcome of an investigation into last year’s equine herpes outbreak in Europe

Finally, hunting vet Helen Van Tuyll is back to give us some advice into roughing horses off as the hunting season comes to an end.

• We would love to hear your feedback on all our podcasts, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com

H&H Plus podcast: episode 93

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Listen now to other recent episodes of The Horse & Hound Podcast…

The Horse & Hound Podcast 92: Showing expert Stuart Hollings | Balancing your horse, fitness & social life | News round-up

The Horse & Hound Podcast 91: Showjumper Jay Halim | Rider strength training | News round-up

The Horse & Hound Podcast 90: Top dressage rider, judge & trainer Isobel Wessels | Boost your confidence | News round-up

The Horse & Hound Podcast 89: Five-star winner Mollie Summerland | Improving a rider’s seat | News round-up

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Top Irish National Hunt jockey Barry Geraghty, 40, announced his retirement from the saddle over the weekend, having ridden 1,920 winners – 121 of those were at the highest level of jump racing, including 43 at the Cheltenham Festival. He has been associated with many brilliant horses including Moscow Flyer, Bobs Worth, Kicking King and Sprinter Sacre. He has no immediate plans but is hopeful to expand into the bloodstock and media industries. For now, he is enjoying family time in Ireland with his wife Paula and their three children, Siofra, Orla and Rian. H&H takes a look back at some of Barry’s finest moments...

A flying duo

Barry rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner aboard the Jessica Harrington-trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Trophy. He went on to have a successful partnership with the gelding, also winning the 2003 and 2005 Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The Aintree history books

The Irishman claimed jump racing’s blue riband steeplechase when steering Monty’s Pass (above, right) to Grand National victory in 2003. The 16/1 chance was trained by Irish handler Jimmy Mangan and won impressively by 12 lengths.

Gold Cup glory

The jockey spent 12 years riding for leading National Hunt trainer Nicky Henderson, commuting backwards and forwards from Ireland to the Seven Barrows yard in Lambourn. During the duo’s success, Barry rode Bobs Worth (pictured) to many race wins including the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup. It was a particularly sentimental win for the jockey because he had purchased Bobs Worth as a yearling in 2006, before selling him for a small profit two years later — their Gold Cup success together would come five years later.

Barry’s first win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup came in 2005 on the Tom Taaffe-trained Kicking King.

Sprinting into the limelight

The popular chaser Sprinter Sacre also provided Barry with many happy days while he was riding for Nicky Henderson, including victories in the 2012 Arkle Trophy, the 2013 Queen Mother Champion Chase, the 2012 Tingle Creek, the 2013 Melling Chase at Aintree and the Punchestown Champion Chase in the same season.

Success in green and gold

In 2015, Barry quit riding as the number one jockey for Nicky, with whom he had “a great relationship”, and replaced AP McCoy – when he retired – as the retained rider for top owner and fellow Irishman JP McManus. The transition also meant Barry could spend more time at home in Ireland with his family. In the famous green and gold silks, he went on to enjoy further high-level success, including on Buveur D’Air (pictured) in the 2018 Champion Hurdle.

At the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Barry notched five wins for JP, including a record-equalling fourth Champion Hurdle when winning on the Nicky Henderson-trained Epatante.

A windy day

Barry walks the course at Uttoxeter with the late Terry Biddlecombe and fellow jockey Mick Fitzgerald. On this day, the meeting was eventually called off due to high winds.

Family man

Barry and his wife, Paula, celebrate with their young family after his success on the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Shutthefrontdoor in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in 2014.

Camaraderie

Ruby Walsh has a pre-race chat with his friend and weighing room colleague during the Galway Festival in Ireland.

Pausing for thought

Barry enjoys a moment to himself in the weighing room ahead of racing at Cheltenham.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Animalife, the creator of Vetrofen and Vetroflex, is the new sponsor of south east-based showjumper, Nicole Pavitt.

Nicole joins a host of Team Animalife riders including Trevor Breen and dressage riders Gareth and Rebecca Hughes.

“I am delighted to be a part of Team Animalife,” said Nicole. “I am a huge fan of the wide range of Animalife products, but particularly love using Vetrofen, as it helps to keep my horses in winning form.”

Matchmakers International’s brand Caldene will be making its sponsorship debut at the 2015 British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) Business Awards. The Caldene Competition Equestrian Event of the Year will be awarded to “an event considered to offer a superior visitor experience” at the ceremony on the 22 February.

“Caldene has been part of a number of equestrian events in 2014 and we appreciate and congratulate the work that goes into them,” said Rachel Bowles, of Matchmakers International. “They continue to attract thousands of shoppers, with tradestands playing an important role. Events like these showcase the very best of Britain’s equestrian talent and give us a chance to see the superstars and rising stars of the sport up close.”

New Zealanders Tim and Jonelle Price will now be sponsored by Supreme Products.

The husband and wife team — the most successful in New Zealand history — have a string of 20 horses, five of whom compete at CCI4*.

“We love the Supreme Products Professional Collection,’ said Jonelle. “Not only is the sport incredibly professional these days, but the turnout is too. It is imperative that our horses look immaculate, with these products we have everything one could possibly need.”

The World Dressage Masters (WDM) has a new title sponsor — Ukrainian company Vian Group.

Over the past 10 years Vian Group has become well-known as the organiaer of a number of international dressage and showjumping competitions in Ukraine.

“We are delighted that Vian Group will be our new title sponsor and is ready to support the further development of international dressage with us,” said Camil Smeulders of WDM.

At The Races has renewed it sponsorship of top national hunt jockey Barry Geraghty.

Barry, twice crowned Champion jockey in Ireland in 1999/2000 and 2003/4, has already won three Grade races this season.

Matthew Imi, chief executive of At The Races, said: “We are really pleased to be sponsoring Barry for another two years. It is a real honour for At The Races to be associated with such a great jockey who we can work with from an Irish and English perspective.”

Alec Lochore, of Musketeer Event Management, has announced a new two year sponsorship agreement with Horsezone.co.uk. The new deal encompasses the entire stable of Musketeer events: Burnham Market (1) and (2), Houghton International where it will also sponsor the Pony Club show jumping competition, Cholmondeley Castle and the new Whitfield Horse Trials — where it will be the title sponsor.

“The team at Horsezone provide a real breath of fresh air; they are enthusiastic, committed and a pleasure to work with. I am thrilled to have them on board for all of our events, and am very much looking forward to developing our relationship over the next two years,” said Alec.

Barry Geraghty was born on 16 September 1979 in County Meath, Ireland. His rise to the top of the sport has been relatively quick. He rode his first winner in January 1997 aboard the Noel Meade-trained Stagalier at Down Royal. By 1999/2000 he had been crowned top jump jockey in Ireland, a feat he repeated in 2003/04.

Barry comes from a family with a strong racing background. His father Tucker was an amateur jockey and a National Hunt trainer and his brother Ross is a successful jump jockey in America.

He is most famous for his partnership with the Jessica Harrington-trained Moscow Flyer. In 2002 he had his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival in the Arkle Challenge Trophy on Moscow Flyer. They were a great partnership, winning two Queen Mother Champion Chases in 2003 and 2005, two Tingle Creek Chases in 2003 and 2004 and the Punchestown Champion Chase in 2004.

Other notable wins include the World Hurdle with Iris’s Gift in 2004, the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Kicking King in 2005, the Champion Hurdle with Punjabi in 2009 and the Grand National with Monty’s Pass in 2003.

But the Queen Mother Champion Chase is a race where he has excelled. He has won it twice on Moscow Flyer (2003 and 2005), once on Big Zeb (2010) and once on Finian’s Rainbow (2012). In total he has won 25 races at the Cheltenham Festival and has always had at least one winner there since his first in 2002.

He and Ruby Walsh are the only active jockeys to have won all five of the major National Hunt races — the Champion Hurdle, World Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup and the Grand National.

In 2008 he became stable jockey for the National Hunt trainer Nicky Henderson after his jockey Mick Fitzgerald decided to retire from riding. This partnership was almost an instant success, with Barry winning the Champion Hurdle on Punjabi and helping Henderson break the 100 winners in a season mark — something he had never done before. However he still rides regularly for the Irish trainers Jessica Harrington, Edward O’Grady and Noel Meade.

In November 2009 he recorded his 1,000th winner in the UK and Ireland on the Nicky Henderson-trained Duc De Regniere at Kempton Park.

Barry lives in County Meath, Ireland with his wife Paula and their two children.

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