With some of the biggest names in rugby battling it out in fierce games and bruising encounters, many of the sport’s stars love to relax with a bit of horse racing. However, there are some rugby players who live and breathe the sport, so much so that they have ended up owning horses! Not only is the sport full of opportunities such as Cheltenham, where bettors will take advantage of Cheltenham free bets, but these rugby stars love the process of owning a horse and having the horse participate in some of the biggest races of the year! Here, we will look through some of rugby’s biggest stars who have owned horses or enjoy horse racing!.
Mike Tindall
Known to be one of the most well-known English rugby players, perhaps due to his marriage to Zara Phillips, a member of the Royal Family, Mike Tindall was a fantastic player who was part of the 2003 World Cup winning squad! However, the England rugby star is also a huge fan of horse racing and bought a horse for £12,000. Even though his soon-to-be wife declared him to be an ‘idiot’ for buying a racehorse, he also gathered fellow international James Simpson-Daniel and Nicky Robinson to form a syndicate.
The horse he purchased was called Monbeg Dude, and having been training with Michael Scudamore, the horse was able to win the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow in 2013! Not only was Michael Scudamore a jockey, but he also was a former Wales under-19s rugby international, meaning the two had plenty of sporting interest to bond over!
Jonathan Davies
Inheriting his love for horse racing from his grandad, who owned horses himself, Jonathan Davies has always been a huge fan of the sport. With his love for the sport, he part-owned a horse called Potters Corner, and whilst he was part of the Six Nations Grand Slam victory, it was whilst he was on the pitch in the victory over Ireland that he found out that Potters Covner had won the Midlands Grand National!
Nine months later, Christian Williams, who was known to be a talented horse trainer, would add Potters Corner to the Welsh Grand National. However, the Covid-19 pandemic robbed the horse a crack at the season’s Grand National. But, the horse did run out the winner of the virtual race run in place of the great Aintree event!
Jamie George
England hooker Jamie Goerge might not have had the ideal body stature for a jockey, as he was known for his huge size, especially throughout his neck and shoulders. As the focal point of a scrum, he is a hugely influential player who definitely suits rugby better than horse racing when it comes to his sheer size and sporting talents!
However, his size did not stop Jamie from wearing a full jockey’s kit to watch the Cheltenham festival a couple of years ago. The Saracens star has been pictured at horse racing events over the years but in jockey gear and a three-piece suit! Whilst he might not have owned horses to this date like the other two rugby stars mentioned, Jamie George is still a huge fan of the sport.
Alex Cuthbert
As he only grew up 15 miles away from Cheltenham Racecourse, it is no surprise that Wales wing Alex Cuthbert has always been interested in the sport. Alex was also a talented show jumper in his youth as he regularly travelled around the country, taking part in competitions. However, standing at 6 foot 6 inches, he was more suited to the physicality of rugby, with the Ospreys star having made appearances for the Wales Six Nations team for more than ten years whilst also appearing for the British and Irish Lions!
As the Wales international is still active, he is only able to go to the track when his rugby commitments allow, yet he has still been spotted many times appreciating the sport of horse racing!
Stuart Hogg
Before Stuart Hogg dreamed of being a rugby star, he was captivated by the idea of becoming a jockey, and with his small stature, it was a realistic dream. Growing up as a youngster in Hawick, he began to realise throughout his training that he was not going to be good enough, and as he continued to grow, he realised he would also be too big! He then began to take rugby seriously, which turned out to be the right career move for him!
Whilst rugby took over as the main interest, Stuart Hogg still maintained an interest in horse racing and actually owned a horse named Corked. The horse was trained near Hawick by Alistair Whillans, and with the horse being trained in the same town where Stuart Hogg was born, it makes for a nice story of how his horse racing interest developed!
