Richard Hughes Tastes Freedom
Richard Hughes has been in the saddle since that age of five. And with well-known National Hunt jockey and trainer Dessie Hughes as his father, one could possibly say that Richard Hughes was born to ride. He has become a famous name in the horse racing industry and has built up a magnificent career as a jockey. With a breathtaking record and years of experience, Hughes is looking forward to his first chance at riding freedom in approximately seven years.
Born on 11 January 1973, in Dublin, Richard Hughes started working on his career as a jockey, from an early age. His father took him under his wing, and at the age of fifteen he became his father’s apprentice; taking home six wins in his first season. In 1994, Hughes relocated to Britain with 150 wins under his belt and started as a stable jockey for Richard Hannon, who would later become his father-in-law. Most people were a little skeptical of Hughes, as being five feet and nine inches in height, made him one of the tallest jockeys. But he managed to keep his weight under control and show his worth on the race track.
Hughes managed to catch the eye of Prince Khalid Abdullah, who retained his services in 2001. Riding for the Prince, meant that he was restricted from riding for other owners and forbidden to take part in any other racing such as steeple chasing, a form of horse racing that Hughes really enjoyed. During his time as jockey to the Prince, Hughes raked up many wins, bringing his total number of winners to 112 and a large sum of prize money by 2003.
As from the next racing season, Hughes will no longer be riding for Prince Khalid Abdullah, giving him back his professional freedom to pursue different rides in the various forms of horse racing. Many generous offers have been made, but Hughes just wants to enjoy his time as a freelance jockey. He will be looking out for the opportunity of piloting Grade One horses with contracts of a year, but will also try to throw a few steeplechase races into the coming year. With so many adventures and new doors open to him, horse racing enthusiasts are sure to see much more of the talented Richard Hughes.
