Date of Birth: June 5, 1996
County of origin: Kilkenny
First winner: Rathvawn Belle (Dick
Donohoe) Punchestown, February 20, 2013
Final winner: Dysart Diamond (Willie Mullins) Leopardstown, December 26, 2021
Significant horses (Selected): Rule The World, Faugheen, Bellshill, Kemboy, Petit Mouchoir, Al Boum Photo, Nichols Canyon, Cilaos Emery, Min, Whiskey Sour, Augusta Kate, Un De Sceaux, Fethard Player, Outlander, Sub Lieutenant, Swamp Fox, Ridestan, Sadler's Risk, Alpha Des Obeaux, Glencairn View, Aunt Nora, Rocky Blue, Champagne West, St Stephens Green, Red Devil Lads, Zero Ten, Bachasson, Court Maid.Â
Follow David on Twitter: @davym15
Did you know?
From Goresbridge, County Kilkenny and from one of Ireland's great racing families, David Mullins enjoyed a short but hugely successful career as a National Hunt jockey.
David became the first teenage jockey to win the Crabbie's Grand National since Pat Buckley scored on Ayala in 1963, when at 19 years of age he partnered the Mouse Morris-trained Rule The World to Aintree success in 2016.Â
He began his career as an amateur rider and rode his first winner on 33/1 shot Rathvawn Belle at Punchestown in February, 2013. He went on to ride 12 winners as an amateur.
His professional career started with a bump rather than a bang as he was unseated from Elm Lee on his first ride but his luck quickly changed as just half an hour later, he partnered Fosters Cross, trained by his father Tom, to success in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Handicap Hurdle at Thurles on December 21, 2014.Â
David enjoyed the first of nine Grade 1 wins when partnering the Willie Mullins-trained Nichols Canyon to land the StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November, 2015.
He partnered the Henry de Bromhead-trained Petit Mouchoir to win the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2017 and won four Grade 1 races for trainer Willie Mullins the following year, the Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase at Fairyhouse on the legendary Al Boum Photo, the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup on Bellshill, the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown on Faugheen and the Savills Chase, again at Leopardstown, on Kemboy.Â
David surprised many when announcing his retirement from race-riding on January 20, 2021. He told the Racing Post, "I think I realised during Galway (the summer festival) in 2019 that the whole thing wasn't for me. when you're in the racing bubble and riding horses its very difficult to think outside of that bubble and I need to get out of it." In all, he rode 12 winners as an amateur, 200 winners over hurdles and fences and one winner (Court Maid) on the Flat in Ireland.Â