'I was doing something which wasn't me' - Ryan Day quits race-riding at 27

Jump jockey Ryan Day has given up race-riding after realising he "wasn't enjoying it any more".

The Cumbrian, stable jockey for Nicky Richards, rode 100 winners and gained notable successes on Baywing (Towton Novices' Chase and Eider Chase) and Guitar Pete (Caspian Caviar Gold Cup).

However, the Covid shutdown caused him to rethink his priorities, and he said: "It took a global pandemic and an existential crisis to finally realise that I was doing something which wasn't me.

Members can watch a replay of Guitar Pete's Caspian Caviar win

"I kind of got into racing by accident, it wasn't something that I always wanted to do as a kid, I stumbled across it. My family had horses and we were getting an ex-racehorse from Elliot Cooper as a showjumper.

"I went to try it and they asked if I'd like to ride another up the gallops while I was there and I started going there on weekends, school holidays, skiving off school to go racing. They said 'Get yourself to the racing school' so I went and I got a licence and it snowballed. I fell into it.

"Once Covid started and racing got stopped I left Nicky's for a while and I got involved in doing all sorts of things, and for the first time in my adult life I was part of the real world, all the sorts of things I'd missed out on."

Ryan Day: won the Eider Chase on Baywing in 2018Credit: John Grossick Racing

Though he resumed riding when racing restarted, Day, 27, was put in touch with ex-jockey and trainee sports psychologist Aodhagan Conlon by Phil Kinsella at Jets and decided to call a halt after riding Duke Of Navan at Stratford last Saturday.

"He ran a brilliant race, but I just didn't get the buzz that I used to," Day said. "Yesterday I was talking to Nicky and it came out: 'You know what, I'm going to call it a day'. It's the most liberating thing I've ever done.

"I probably wasn't enjoying it any more and I didn't want to get to the point where I absolutely hated it. I wouldn't like to do a disservice to anybody if I kept going not giving them what they deserve.

"Baywing and Guitar Pete were fantastic horses to get on and I had a really good time, I rode 100 winners and I've made a lot of friends and strong relationships which I wouldn't have got without being in the job. The injuries didn't help, but I had some fantastic days.

"I've been getting loads of text messages today, some of them saying it's really sad – no it isn't, it's not the end, it's just the beginning.

"Covid has been terrible, but it's completely changed the way I see the world and myself. I'll tell you what I'm doing: I've jumped and I'm going to learn to fly on the way down."

Reacting to Day's decision to retire, Richards said: "It's a shame as he's a very talented rider, but unfortunately he's not had a lot of luck in the last couple of years since his fall on Baywing in the Eider. He got broken up a bit and things haven't worked out great for him.

"He's ridden some good horses for me and had a great mind over fences. He got on to Baywing, which was great, and had a long association with Duke Of Navan. He also won the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Guitar Pete and gave him a great ride.

"He's a good lad and it was his decision to call it a day and, hopefully, he'll continue to be part of Greystoke for a long time. He'll continue to ride out and hopefully go racing a few days for us. You don't want to be losing lads like him out of the industry."

Ryan Day career details

Read more . . .

Baywing thrives on marathon test to provide Day and Richards with big winner

Baywing owners reduced to tears after death of star in Eider Chase

Cheltenham tears after fatal injury to Starchitect overshadows Guitar Pete win

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