'My mental health really struggled' - rider Lucy Barry opens up after retiring

Jockey Lucy Barry has spoken about depression and the eating disorders she faced as a rider after announcing her retirement following a winner at Warwick on Wednesday evening.

The 5lb claimer ended her career in the saddle by riding the Amy Murphy-trained Hawthorn Cottage – a horse she bought at a Cheltenham sale in December 2017 – to a narrow victory in the 3m handicap chase for owners Melbourne 10 Racing.

"I'm probably in the best mindset I've ever been in now," she told the Racing Post on Thursday.

Watch Hawthorn Cottage and Lucy Barry's fitting finale

"Melbourne 10 have been my biggest supporters over the last six years and I started buying their jump horses; Hawthorn Cottage was the first horse I ever bought for them.

"I rode a Flat winner for them, won a mares' bumper at Cheltenham in April 2018 and won two hurdle races last season on Hawthorn Cottage, so it was the last piece of the puzzle."

Barry, who started out point-to-pointing for the late John Manners, admitted she faced many struggles since making her name as an apprentice for Clive Cox, battling the scales as well as trying to gain a professional licence each season.

"I flew through my first year and gained a lot of success at an early age, but the weight got the better of me and my mental health really struggled," the 29-year-old added.

One final hurrah: Hawthorn Cottage and Lucy Barry soar over a fence on their way to victoryCredit: Tim Goode (Getty Images)

"With that came the pressures that I put on myself and I ended up on a slippery slope of eating disorders and depression.

"I wasn't race-riding for three years and only came back because I didn't know what else to do. I still wasn't the lightest and it never took off again.

"I ended up in hospital with stomach problems because I wasn't eating and trying to keep my weight down so much. I wasn't healthy.

"I decided to go back jumping and a lot of people thought I was mad. Every year was a struggle to get my licence back because I hadn't had enough rides."

Barry said those issues played a "massive" role in her decision to hang up her boots and she will now focus on buying more stock for Melbourne 10 as well as managing a farm for owner Ian Barratt.

She said: "I wouldn't change my decision now because it's led me along to the next path of my future, when you go through struggles it makes you stronger.

"But would I change what I went through? Absolutely not. It's made me who I am today and taught me success is not a number of achievements, it's to be content with life.

"That's where I am right now. I'm very content, that's the main thing. Would I have retired if she didn't win yesterday? Probably not. I didn't look at it as my profession for the last five years but as a hobby. I don't get enough rides and I'm happy with that."

Barry rode 37 British winners in her career, with her best season coming when recording 19 on the Flat in 2011.

Read more:

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Radio documentary on Sunday puts jockeys' mental health under the microscope

'It got too much for a young lad' – rider Mitch Godwin reveals depression battle

Four in ten Irish trainers showing signs of depression, report reveals

Jockey George Buckell boxing for mental health charity after depression battle

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