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Harry Cobden

{{short description|British jockey}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox horseracing personality

|name = Harry Cobden

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|occupation = Jockey

|birth_place = Somerset

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|11|5|df=yes}}

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|career wins =

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|awards = British Champion Conditional Jockey (2015/16)
British jump racing Champion Jockey (2023/24)

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}}

Harry Cobden (born 5 November 1998) is a British jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. He was British Champion Conditional Jockey in 2015/16 and went on to ride as first jockey to trainer Paul Nicholls. By the end of the 2023/24 season he had won 24 Grade 1 races. He was British jump racing Champion Jockey in 2023/24.

Background

Cobden was born on 5 November 1998, the youngest of the two sons of Somerset farmers Sarah and Will Cobden, who also ran an abattoir.{{cite web|url=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/harry-cobden-740024|title=Harry Cobden: everything you need to know about this National Hunt jockey|date=12 July 2024|work=Horse & Hound}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2019/03/09/meet-harry-cobden-young-farmer-hoping-break-irish-jockeys-grip/|title=Meet Harry Cobden, the young farmer hoping to break the Irish jockeys' grip on Cheltenham|

date=9 March 2019|work=The Telegraph}} He learnt to ride as a small child and later took part in pony racing. In school holidays he worked in the yard of trainer Ron Hodges. A boarder at Sexey's School, he left without taking any GCSEs and went to work with local trainer Anthony Honeyball.{{cite web|url=https://www.sexeys.somerset.sch.uk/alumni/famous-alumni/harry-cobden/|title=Alumni and Friends: Harry Cobden|date=December 2019|work=Sexey's School}}

Cobden won the men's novice point-to-point title in the 2014/15 season and won his first race under rules on 33/1 outsider El Mondo in a hunter chase at Leicester on 6 March 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/point-to-point-championship-title-goes-to-record-breaking-jockey-498241|title=Point-to-point championship title goes to record-breaking jockey|date=12 December 2016|work=Horse & Hound}}

Career

At the beginning of the 2015/16 season, Cobden became conditional jockey to Paul Nicholls at Ditcheat in Somerset. He had been riding out for Nicholls in the summers since he was 13.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/features/series/harry-coben-making-a-name-for-himself-in-december-2016-aNkpK2H8zDiB/|title=Harry Cobden: making a name for himself in December 2016|date=12 December 2016|work=Racing Post}} He achieved his first Grade success in November 2015, when Old Guard won the Grade 3 Greatwood Hurdle for Nicholls.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/jockey/94230/harry-cobden/stats|title=Harry Cobden|access-date=10 December 2024|work=Racing Post}} Irving, trained by Nicholls, provided him with his first Grade 1 victory when he won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in November 2016. Cobden was crowned champion conditional jockey at the end of the 2016/17 season.

Cobden won his first Cheltenham Festival victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in March 2018 on Kilbricken Storm, trained by Colin Tizzard. In April 2018, just before the Grand National meeting, he was offered the role of first jockey by both Colin Tizzard and Nicholls. Having ridden Ultragold 1 to a second consecutive victory in the Topham Chase for Tizzard and Diego Du Charmil to victory in the Maghull Novices' Chase. he decided to accept the offer for Nicholls, while continuing to ride for Tizzard. Soon after taking on the role as stable jockey to Nicholls, Cobden broke his C2 vertebra in a fall at Market Rasen and was sidelined for several months.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/harry-cobden-im-lucky-to-be-walking-around-after-breaking-my-neck-in-fall-avHXs2W6vIYH/|title=Harry Cobden: I'm lucky to be walking around after breaking my neck in fall|date=24 June 2018|work=Racing Post}} In 2018/19, his first full season riding as stable jockey for Nicholls, he achieved four Grade 1 victories for the trainer, including the King George VI Chase on Clan des Obeaux.

By the end of the 2023/24 season, Cobden had won 866 races and achieved 24 Grade 1 victories over his career. He was crowned 2023/24 champion jump jockey, finishing the season seven wins ahead of Sean Bowen.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/articles/cnl4ypepjqko|title='A relief' to clinch jump jockey title - Cobden|date=2 May 2024|work=BBC Sport}}

Life outside racing

Cobden lives on the family farm in Somerset, where he takes an active part in raising cattle.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2024/03/03/harry-cobden-interview-jockey-cows-cheltenham-festival/|title=Harry Cobden interview: The leading jump jockey using cows to ease the pressure of being No 1|date=3 March 2024|work=The Telegraph}} He also runs a shooting business on 13 acres of farmland.

Cheltenham Festival winners (6)

Major wins

{{flagicon|UK}} Great Britain

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobden, Harry}}

Category:1998 births

Category:Living people

Category:British jockeys

Category:People educated at Sexey's School

Category:British Champion jumps jockeys

Category:Sportspeople from Somerset