FEATURE TOM SCUDAMORE
LIFE OUT OF THE SADDLE
After an illustrious 25-year career, jockey Tom Scudamore decided to retire from racing in February. He talks to The Cotswold Gentleman about the reasons for his decision and his plans for the future
R etirement is a months before deciding. 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 career. On 17 February 2023, Tom Scudamore called time on a career that spanned 25 years and saw him ride over 1,500 scary word for any sportsperson. Many think about it for
winners and was sitting fourth in the Jockeys Championship, but sadly, weeks of freezing temperatures 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 at Chepstow. I’d been very fortunate to have a wonderful career and was lucky that I could say thank you on my own terms. “I will miss everything about
winners and form an unforgettable partnership with the spectacular Thistlecrack. I have known Tom since his days growing up in 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. Today we are both quite a bit older, and hopefully, a little wiser. Was it a difficult decision to retire? “The decision wasn’t that hard. I knew I was coming to the back end of my career and would love to have finished by riding 100 winners again and 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
riding. I was very privileged to be able to do what I loved doing and always wanted to do when I was growing up. I miss the great days, but I even miss the bad days, as you learnt so much from them.” 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 you would take? “I didn’t expect this to be the way I would go. However, myself, Michael, Dad and Lucinda had been speaking for quite some time about how we could all
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