Eddie Harty

Eddie Harty
Personal information
Full nameEdward Patrick Harty
NationalityIrish
Born(1937-06-10)10 June 1937
Dublin, Ireland
Died11 February 2026(2026-02-11) (aged 88)
Sport
SportEquestrian / National Hunt Racing

Edward Patrick Harty (10 June 1937 – 11 February 2026) was an Irish equestrian and National Hunt jockey. He competed in two events at the 1960 Summer Olympics.[1]

Harty rode for some of the foremost trainers in England and Ireland, but his biggest win came when he was a late replacement for the injured Owen McNally, who had been due to ride Highland Wedding, trained by Toby Balding, in the 1969 Grand National.[2] The pair went into the lead two fences after Becher's Brook on the second circuit, and won by 12 lengths.[3]

Harty died from heart failure on 11 February 2026, at the age of 88.[2][4]

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Eddie Harty Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b "From cowboy duties in the US to becoming the only Olympian to have landed the Grand National". Racing Post. 11 February 2026.
  3. ^ "Randox Grand National: Lydia Hislop recalls five memorable winners". RacingTV. 12 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Eddie Harty obituary: Grand National-winning jockey". The Times. 24 February 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.