Farewell to former Olympic eventer and Grand National winner, aged 88

Eddie Harty, the Olympic eventer and Grand National-winning jockey died on 11 February, aged 88.

Eddie was born in Dublin in 1937, to a distinguished equestrian and racing family. His father Captain Cyril Hardy was a founding member of the Irish showjumping team, and a successful jockey and racehorse trainer, and his grandfather, great-grandfather and four of his uncles were jockeys.

Eddie followed in his family’s footsteps and rode his first winner under Rules in an amateur riders’ chase at Newton Abbot in 1953. He competed in a number of equestrian disciplines, and in 1960 rode at the Rome Olympics, where he and Harlequin finished ninth individually and the Irish team were sixth.

After the Games, Eddie married Patricia O’Neill and they moved to Melton Mowbray, where Eddie returned to racing. Over the next decade he enjoyed success as a jockey for trainers including Fred Winter, Alec Kilpatrick and Fred Rimell, riding more than 260 winners. His biggest victory was in 1969, when he stepped in to ride Highland Wedding for Toby Badling in the Grand National after Owen McNally was ruled out by injury. They won by 12 lengths.

Eddie retired from the saddle after he was injured in a fall at Cheltenham in December 1971. He returned to Ireland and was a successful trainer, based at Strawhall, the Curragh. His final runner was This Is My Life, who was ridden to victory at Roscommon by AP McCoy in September 1995.

His son Eddie Harty Jr and grandson Patrick have continued the Harty name in racing, holding a joint licence in Kildare, Ireland. His other son Eoin is a trainer in the US.

“He had an enormous personality who accomplished so much in life, not least shaping some great people,” said a spokesperson for Harty Racing.

Patricia died a week before Eddie, on 4 February. The couple are survived by their children Eddie, Eoin and Freda, grandchildren Nick, Gerard, Patrick, Carolyn and Eddie, and great-granddaughter Anabelle.