I had never really considered bad luck before. A brilliant memoir changed all that | Adrian Chiles

Davy Russell’s magnificent autobiography of life as a jockey taught me a valuable lesson about gratitude and achievement

Today, I’m interviewing a jockey on my radio programme about his memoir. Being not much into horse racing, I knew next to nothing about Davy Russell until I opened his book. I’m very glad to have made his acquaintance because, in a blistering opening chapter, as well as conveying a vast amount of information about the art of riding a racehorse over jumps, he comes up with an observation about winning which applies to life as much as racing.

This chapter has him describing the first of his two consecutive Grand National wins on Tiger Roll, in 2018 and 2019. From the flag to the finish, you’re on that horse with him over every jump. It’s all breathtaking – film from a camera on his helmet with a running commentary wouldn’t convey it better – but it’s just after the fourth fence that the wisdom comes:

Topics

Inside I am smiling. So why do I always look so miserable? | Adrian Chiles
World - The Guardian - November 13
Do you want to hear about my dreams? No, I didn’t think so | Adrian Chiles
World - The Guardian - 2 days ago
Key Braves reliever could miss all of 2025 MLB season as team's bad injury luck continues in offseason
Sports - CBS Sports - November 5
Let Me Ask a Question We Never Had to Ask Before
Top stories - The New York Times - October 31
Do motorway billboards signal the first death throes of capitalism? | Adrian Chiles
World - The Guardian - October 30
Anthony Edwards is shooting it from deep like never before. Is the 3-ball evolution good or bad?
Sports - Yahoo Sports - October 30
Jake Elliott looks to bounce back after recent slump; Eagles never considered change at kicker
Sports - CBS Sports - 4 days ago
NBA considering All-Star Game changes again, including getting away from the 'traditional' format
Sports - ABC News - November 2
Ancient gameshows, long-dead stars, Gregg Wallace … I’m fascinated by Mum’s taste in TV | Adrian Chiles
World - The Guardian - November 6

I had never really considered bad luck before. A brilliant memoir changed all that | Adrian Chiles

Topics

Related

Inside I am smiling. So why do I always look so miserable? | Adrian Chiles

Do you want to hear about my dreams? No, I didn’t think so | Adrian Chiles

Key Braves reliever could miss all of 2025 MLB season as team's bad injury luck continues in offseason

Let Me Ask a Question We Never Had to Ask Before

Do motorway billboards signal the first death throes of capitalism? | Adrian Chiles

Anthony Edwards is shooting it from deep like never before. Is the 3-ball evolution good or bad?

Jake Elliott looks to bounce back after recent slump; Eagles never considered change at kicker

NBA considering All-Star Game changes again, including getting away from the 'traditional' format

Ancient gameshows, long-dead stars, Gregg Wallace … I’m fascinated by Mum’s taste in TV | Adrian Chiles

More from The Guardian

Cop29 agrees $1.3tn climate finance deal but campaigners brand it a ‘betrayal’

Unidentified drones spotted over three UK airbases, US air force confirms

Andy Murray to coach Novak Djokovic for Australian Open

‘We live in a climate of fear’: graphic novelist’s Elon Musk book can’t find UK or US publisher

Masked gang broke into home of Conor McGregor accuser, Dublin court was told