'It's been emotional as a jockey is all I've ever wanted to be' - Aidan Coleman retires after losing injury battle

Multiple Grade 1-winning jump jockey Aidan Coleman on Sunday announced his retirement from race-riding on medical grounds at the age of 35.

Coleman suffered a serious knee injury when his mount Ascension Day ran out and crashed through the wing of a hurdle at Worcester last June. The incident left him with a shattered tibia and led to a complex recovery process, which has forced him to quit the sport. 

He said: "The prognosis early was quite bleak about returning to ride. Around September I was kidding myself that I could get back from this, then around Christmas I had another operation and the progress has really plateaued.

"I can do the gym, but I can't run or jump. I can't ride a horse really. A lot of people would say I couldn't anyway, so what's the difference, but every time I've tried to ride a horse since Christmas it's not gone well."

Aidan Coleman riding Jonbon to victory at Aintree last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

He added on Racing TV's Luck On Sunday: "I just can't really do it or ride in a race or anything. Speaking to Jerry Hill [the BHA's chief medical adviser] and my surgeon, my chances of improving are negative now, so that's it. I won't stand the demands of being a jockey or get anywhere near it."

The rider, best known for his association with leading staying hurdler Paisley Park, said his harrowing career-ending injury was like "hitting a wall at 30 miles an hour" and the pain was exacerbated by his difficulty in being treated at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on the evening of the incident. 

Coleman praised the on-course medical team for their quick response but recalled: "It was pretty excruciating. I was left on a trolley for about five hours at the hospital without pain relief – that was a pretty dark time. I got there at 9pm and my phone had run out of battery too, so I was left in a corridor. 

"The NHS can only do so much, but I was left and there were lines of us as far as I could see up, down and in all the alcoves. I kept asking for pain relief but they were just too busy to come to me. They found me a bed at 6am or 7am the next morning and I was still in my racing gear.

"If there was someone there with a chainsaw I'd have given him any money to just to cut it off at that stage. You just deal with it, get through the next hour and the next hour."

Aidan Coleman: established an incredible relationship with Paisley ParkCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Coleman – who finished as high as second in the jump jockeys' championship in the 2015-16 season – is unsure of his next career move but has a desire to continue to work within the industry.

He added: "It's been emotional as it's my last week as a jockey, which is all I've ever wanted to be. It's on to the next chapter now and I've no idea what that'll be. I've never thought about it as I committed everything I had to being a jockey, then committed everything I had to rehab. It's a scary time in my life but it'll be fine."

He also took to social media to thank the medical staff who helped during his recovery as well as the trainers who helped him reach a total of 1,251 winners in Britain and Ireland. 

Coleman was born in Ireland but moved to Britain to work for Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Henrietta Knight in 2006, taking his first ride in December that year. Coleman was champion conditional in the 2008-09 season and became retained rider to Venetia Williams, with whom he enjoyed a fruitful association until 2015. 

During this time, however, Coleman passed up the ride on 100-1 winner Mon Mome in the 2009 Grand National, choosing to partner better-fancied stablemate Stan. The late Liam Treadwell instead took the winning ride at Aintree. 

Coleman, who was also stable jockey to Olly Murphy, secured his first Grade 1 success aboard the Emma Lavelle-trained Paisley Park in the 2018 Long Walk Hurdle. Their partnership lasted five seasons until Tom Bellamy took over in this campaign. 

Coleman also enjoyed a memorable Champion Chase victory on the Henry de Bromhead-trained Put The Kettle On in 2021, having partnered the mare to victory in the Arkle the previous season.

He built up a magnificent association with the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon, the pair teaming up for nine wins, four of which were at Grade 1 level, as well as riding Epatante to victory in the Fighting Fifth and Aintree Hurdle in the 2021-22 campaign.

AIDAN COLEMAN CV

Full name Aidan Coleman

Born Co. Cork, August 17, 1988

Apprenticed to Henrietta Knight, Venetia Williams

First mount Silverbar (trainer Henrietta Knight) 9th, bumper, Hereford, December 23, 2006

First winner Tashkandi (trainer Sarah Humphrey) selling hurdle, Uttoxeter, October 17, 2007

First Graded winner Stan (2008 Red Rum Chase)

First Grade 1 winner Paisley Park (2018 Long Walk Hurdle)

Stayers' Hurdle winner Paisley Park (2019)

Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Put The Kettle On (2021)

Arkle Chase winner Put The Kettle On (2020)

Other Cheltenham Festival winner Kayf Aramis (2009 Pertemps Hurdle Final)

BetVictor Gold Cup winner Taquin Du Seuil (2016)

Welsh Grand National winner Emperor's Choice (2014)

Celebration Chase winner Jonbon (2023)

Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Epatante (2020, 2021 dead-heat)

Long Walk Hurdle winner Paisley Park (2018, 2020, 2022)

Cleeve Hurdle winner Paisley Park (2019, 2020, 2022)

Aintree Hurdle winner Epatante (2022)

Other Grade 1 wins Jonbon (2022 Top Novices' Hurdle, Henry VIII Novices' Chase, 2023 Maghull Novices' Chase)

Grand National runner-up Balko Des Flos (2021)

Champion Hurdle runners-up My Tent Or Yours (2017), Epatante (2022)

Placed in Cheltenham Gold Cup Mon Mome (3rd, 2010)

1,000th win over jumps Western Miller, Southwell, June 23, 2019

Last winner Gloire D'Athon (trainer Sarah Humphrey) Uttoxeter, May 28, 2023

Last mount Ascension Day (ran out) Worcester, June 15, 2023

Highest-rated steeplechasers (RPRs) Fox Norton (173 in 2016 Shloer Chase), Jonbon (170 in 2023 Celebration Chase)

Highest-rated hurdler (RPRs) Paisley Park (172 in 2019 Cleeve Hurdle)

Most prolific Grade 1 winners Paisley Park (4), Jonbon (4), Epatante (3)

Richest prize ￡182,877 (2019 Stayers' Hurdle, won by Paisley Park)

Grade 1 wins 13

Cheltenham Festival wins 4

Champion conditional jockey 2008-09 (55 wins)

Runner-up in jump jockeys' championship 2015-16 (to Richard Johnson)

Most wins in a season 129 in 2015-16

Total wins over jumps 1,246 (GB 1,242, Ireland 4) plus 5 on Flat

Compiled by John Randall

Read these next:

Aidan Coleman: 'I didn't want to be a slave to the game, I had no interest in it - but I felt I had to do it' 

Aidan Coleman anticipating 'a lot of problems in later life' following horror injury 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.