Ruby Walsh: ferocious competitor who always rode right on the edge

The process of deconstructing a champion usually focuses on the extraordinary things they do that illustrate their gift, but the essential genius of Ruby Walsh was more about what he didn’t do.

While Walsh’s conviction and temperament were palpable in his capacity to deliver in the most demanding of sporting arenas, his defining technical attribute was his capacity to get a horse from one side of an obstacle to the other in the most efficient way possible. That horsemanship came before anything else.

He possessed a rare ability to present his mounts at a fence on an even stride, not too long or too short, so they’d traverse it on a low trajectory and land running with their momentum unimpeded. In stark contrast to most of his colleagues, though, Walsh's execution was dependent on him not interfering.