LIFE OUT OF THE SADDLE
OUR INTERVIEW WITH TOM SCUDAMORE FOR THE JOCKEY CLUB'S KALENDAR MAGAZINE
After an illustrious 25-year career, jockey Tom Scudamore decided to retire from racing in February. We caught up with him to talk about the reasons for his decision and his plans for the future.
Retirement is a scary word for any sportsperson. Many think about it for months before making the impossible decision. Some don’t have that choice. And others, if you’re Frankie Dettori, embark on a year-long worldwide victory parade to celebrate an incredible illustrious career.
On February 17th 2023, and without a furor, Tom Scudamore called time on a career that spanned for 25 years and saw him ride over 1,500 winners, including 10 victories at the Cheltenham Festival and form an unforgettable partnership with the incredible Thistlecrack.
I have known Tom since his days growing up on Nigel Twiston-Davies’ yard in Naunton and drinking at The Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power when his father Peter was a part-owner of the pub, and often crossed paths at various racecourses.
Today we are both quite a bit older and, hopefully, a little wiser
Retirement is a scary word for any sportsperson. Many think about it for months before making the impossible decision. Some don’t have that choice. And others, if you’re Frankie Dettori, embark on a year-long worldwide victory parade to celebrate an incredible illustrious career.
On February 17th 2023, and without a furor, Tom Scudamore called time on a career that spanned for 25 years and saw him ride over 1,500 winners, including 10 victories at the Cheltenham Festival and form an unforgettable partnership with the incredible Thistlecrack.
I have known Tom since his days growing up on Nigel Twiston-Davies’ yard in Naunton and drinking at The Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power when his father Peter was a part-owner of the pub, and often crossed paths at various racecourses.
Today we are both quite a bit older and, hopefully, a little wiser
Was it a difficult decision to retire?
“Ultimately the decision itself wasn’t that hard. I knew I was coming to the back-end of my career and I would have loved to have finished by riding 100 winners again, and I really wanted to get closer to riding more winners than Dad!”
“For a large part of last season this looked very achievable. Going into December, I was delighted with the way things were going. I had ridden 50 winners and was sitting fourth in the Jockeys Championship, but sadly we endured weeks of freezing temperatures which pretty much put paid to that.”
“Things went well after Christmas with a nice winner on Remastered for David [Pipe] and a second in the King George. I then got a bad concussion after a bang on the head at Chepstow and I’m just not the sort of person to go through the motions. I’d been very fortunate to have a wonderful career and was lucky that I could say thank you very much on my own terms.”
“I will miss everything about riding. I was very fortunate and privileged to be able to do what I loved doing and always wanted to do when I was growing up. It goes without saying that I miss the great days, but I even miss the bad days too as you learned so much from them and I was the kind of person who always wanted to get better.”
“Ultimately the decision itself wasn’t that hard. I knew I was coming to the back-end of my career and I would have loved to have finished by riding 100 winners again, and I really wanted to get closer to riding more winners than Dad!”
“For a large part of last season this looked very achievable. Going into December, I was delighted with the way things were going. I had ridden 50 winners and was sitting fourth in the Jockeys Championship, but sadly we endured weeks of freezing temperatures which pretty much put paid to that.”
“Things went well after Christmas with a nice winner on Remastered for David [Pipe] and a second in the King George. I then got a bad concussion after a bang on the head at Chepstow and I’m just not the sort of person to go through the motions. I’d been very fortunate to have a wonderful career and was lucky that I could say thank you very much on my own terms.”
“I will miss everything about riding. I was very fortunate and privileged to be able to do what I loved doing and always wanted to do when I was growing up. It goes without saying that I miss the great days, but I even miss the bad days too as you learned so much from them and I was the kind of person who always wanted to get better.”
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In May this year, it was announced that dual Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell and Tom’s brother Michael would join forces in Scotland, with Tom taking on Michael’s Eccleswall Court Stables in Herefordshire that will become a satellite and pre-training yard for the joint operation.
Did you think this would be the path he would take? “I didn’t expect this to be the way I would go. I always felt comfortable in a media role and always knew that would be a route I would take." "However, myself, Michael, Dad and Lucinda had been speaking about it for quite some time about how we could all work together as a family, but I wasn’t sure if it would be right for everybody. We then all sat down around March time and all the cards just fell into place and it made perfect sense that this is the best way forward." "Eccleswall will become an arm to what is going on up in Scotland. The best way of looking at it is that I’m in charge of the under 21s squad, bring on the youngsters, and when the horses come to run at courses down south, I will have a few first teamers as well. It means we can cover the whole country and continue the success that both operations have enjoyed on their own. Michael, with his small team, has had a Cheltenham Festival and Welsh Grand National winner, as well as other big race wins, while Lucinda’s has enjoyed so much success in recent years, it just felt that we had done so many things apart and if we put it altogether, we would be in a position to achieve all the ambitions we want to do. We all have such a great relationship" |
Will this mean we will see more southern runners for Michael Scudamore and Lucinda Russell Racing?
“Ultimately, yes. It’s very exciting. We have a big team and this means we can cover more of the country and take on everybody. Lucinda and Michael want to be competing at the top table and this is the way we think we can go and achieve that."
Herefordshire is enriched in Scudamore history, with Tom’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father all residing in the county.
So does this feel like a natural home?
“I do already feel very at home here, but I have a huge affinity for the West Country and a big part of my heart will always remain there . I spent the last 20 years in Devon, ,my wife is from Devon and my three daughters were born in Devon. I love Exmore, I love the people and I feel Herefordshire is very similar to that with its charm, way of life and values.”
Does this mean an end to the brief stint in the media?
“Absolutely not! I can’t wait to join the team at ITV again. They are fantastic for racing and the support they have given the sport over the last few years is unbelievable. I think their coverage is fantastic and we’re very lucky to have so much terrestrial airtime and should never take this for granted. There will always be rumblings and grumblings about it, but the support they give is amazing. I will also be continuing my ambassador role with Coral who were great supporters of mine when I was riding and give a lot back to the sport.”
And what are the ambitions for the season ahead?
“To be as successful as possible. I have never been one to set too many targets as there are a million and one things that can get in your way. I tend to concentrate on the smaller things like I did when I was riding. Can I improve certain horses? Can we do certain things at home? So my ambition is to find a routine that works, make things efficient and make sure our standards remain very high for everybody working here. “And if we get all the small things right, the big things will, hopefully, follow”
“Ultimately, yes. It’s very exciting. We have a big team and this means we can cover more of the country and take on everybody. Lucinda and Michael want to be competing at the top table and this is the way we think we can go and achieve that."
Herefordshire is enriched in Scudamore history, with Tom’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father all residing in the county.
So does this feel like a natural home?
“I do already feel very at home here, but I have a huge affinity for the West Country and a big part of my heart will always remain there . I spent the last 20 years in Devon, ,my wife is from Devon and my three daughters were born in Devon. I love Exmore, I love the people and I feel Herefordshire is very similar to that with its charm, way of life and values.”
Does this mean an end to the brief stint in the media?
“Absolutely not! I can’t wait to join the team at ITV again. They are fantastic for racing and the support they have given the sport over the last few years is unbelievable. I think their coverage is fantastic and we’re very lucky to have so much terrestrial airtime and should never take this for granted. There will always be rumblings and grumblings about it, but the support they give is amazing. I will also be continuing my ambassador role with Coral who were great supporters of mine when I was riding and give a lot back to the sport.”
And what are the ambitions for the season ahead?
“To be as successful as possible. I have never been one to set too many targets as there are a million and one things that can get in your way. I tend to concentrate on the smaller things like I did when I was riding. Can I improve certain horses? Can we do certain things at home? So my ambition is to find a routine that works, make things efficient and make sure our standards remain very high for everybody working here. “And if we get all the small things right, the big things will, hopefully, follow”
