Champion jockey Rachael Blackmore has given birth to her first child, a baby boy named Bowie Martin Hayes, with husband Brian Hayes. The couple, who married in January, announced the arrival on Instagram on Wednesday with a black-and-white photo of the newborn nestled against her chest.
Blackmore, 35, retired from racing last year after a historic career that included becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National and the first woman to be crowned leading jockey at Cheltenham. She amassed 575 victories during her professional career.
The Tipperary native revealed she was expecting in February, posting a picture of her car with a baby pram in the boot. The announcement came a month after her low-key wedding in West Cork.
Blackmore and Hayes, also a jockey, have known each other for over a decade, having met at a training yard in Carlow. They previously shared a home with friend and jockey Patrick Mullins. In 2021, Blackmore described their household as a 'great place to live' and noted that racing rarely dominated their conversations.
In her farewell statement last May, Blackmore paid tribute to Hayes, writing: 'Brian Hayes won't enjoy getting a mention, but he was more important to my career than I'll ever be able to thank him for.'
