Jockeys

Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore scripted history as the first female winner of Britain’s Grand National horse race. Born to a dairy farmer, she was raised on a farm and spent her childhood riding ponies. She turned a professional jockey in 2015. She was also the first female leading jockey at Cheltenham.

French Canadian jockey Lucien Laurin is best remembered for training the American Thoroughbred Secretariat to earn the 1973 Triple Crown championship and also win two Horse of the Year titles. Although known for his mercurial temper and his habit of yelling, he was also a perfectionist.

Adam Lindsay Gordon was a British-Australian poet, police officer, and politician. He attended the Royal Grammar School Worcester as a boy. At the behest of his father, he became a police officer, also dabbling in politics later on. He gained a reputation as a poet as well. His personal life was deeply troubled and he shot himself in 1870. 

Rafael Fragoso was a Brazilian sportsman and businessman. A former Brazilian champion in horse racing, Fragoso also represented his country in several international competitions. After retiring as a professional jockey, Rafael Fragoso operated a footwear and accessories store in Ipanema, which he shut down in 2015. He died of COVID-19 in 2020 at the age of 62.