McCoy poised to ride in Barbury’s JCB Champions Challenge

20 times champion jump jockey AP McCoy OBE is earmarked to make a return to the saddle at this year’s St. James’s Place Wealth Management Barbury International Horse Trials in the JCB Champions Challenge on Saturday 11 July.

McCoy retired from race riding in April this year following an extraordinary record-breaking career with 20 consecutive jump jockey titles, over 4,300 winners and was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the year in 2010.  The ‘Champ’ will be joined by a trio of jump jockeys in the second running of the JCB Champions Challenge, a unique horse-race between the country’s top riders held in aid of Injured Jockeys Fund.

The race will feature jump jockeys versus event riders, against each other over a specially designed course, including a water jump.  The winning junior and senior teams from the Inter Hunt Scurry, held on the same day with over 30 teams taking part will form the final two teams.

Joining McCoy will be Sam Twiston-Davies, 22, one of the brightest of the new generation of young jumps jockeys, Richard Johnson, who is, after McCoy, the second-most successful jockey in jumps history, with over 2000 winners.  The quartet is completed by one of racing’s leading players Wayne Hutchinson, stable jockey to Barbury trainer Alan King.

The eventers team boasts an awesome line-up of equestrian accolades and achievements.  Andrew Nicholson, who has won the Barbury International three star and Burghley horse trials three times in a row with his lovely grey Avebury will lead the eventers.  He will be joined by fellow New Zealander and rider of the 20th century Sir Mark Todd. Furthermore, both Nicholson and Todd have each ridden in seven Olympic games.  Completing the quartet are two of Britain’s finest rider’s Harry Meade, who finished second at last year’s Badminton Horse Trials and multiple winning Olympic medallist Tina Cook.

Nigel Bunter, Chairman of the Barbury International Horse Trials said:

“Last year the jump jockeys were victorious in the inaugural running of this event and with the some of the greatest names in horseracing and eventing taking part and its also very exciting we will be welcoming AP McCoy to Barbury.  We are expecting a nail biting renewal and the eventer’s will be hungry for a win.  We are delighted to host the Champions Challenge again together with JCB and supporting the Injured Jockeys Fund.  May the best team win!”.

A JCB spokesperson added:

“2014 was the first year JCB was involved at Barbury with the JCB Champions Challenge. It is not only a great event to showcase our range of construction equipment, but also fantastic to be supporting the racing’s charity the Injured Jockeys Fund.”