 Mick Fitzgerald, 5ft 10”, born in Cork on May 10, 1970, grew up in Camolin in County Wexford and joined local trainer Richard Lister at the age of 16 from the pony riding circuit, a popular source of future aspiring top jockeys in Ireland.
He rode his first on Lover’s Secret at Ludlow on 11th December, 1988 and since then he has booted home around 1,250 winners – 12 of them at the Cheltenham Festival and enabling him to be in the top 6 of all-time riders over fences
From Lister he moved on to John Hayden at The Curragh. He then left school to move to England at the age of 18 to work for jump trainers in the form of John Jenkins and Richard Tucker when increasing weight caused him to switch to the jumping game.
A short spell riding for Jackie Retter in the 1991/92 season then saw Mick land a long-standing retainer with top Lambourn trainer Nick Henderson and the partnership has proved very successful ever since.
In recent years, Fitzgerald has established himself as one of the leading jockeys in Britain, particularly through his partnership with the brilliant Paul Nicholls trained chaser See More Business, on whom he won the King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1999.
That year’s Cheltenham Festival, was a bumper year for Mick where he took the Gold Cup, Triumph Hurdle on Katarino, the 2 mile Queen Mother Champion Chase on Call Equiname, and the Cathcart Chase on Stormyfairweather.
 One of the most popular and eloquent jockeys in the jockeys’ room, Mick also does a lot of television work where his views are always appreciated. Mick will never live down and is probably best remembered for his famous quote live on BBC TV after winning the Grand National on Rough Quest in 1996,
“Winning the Grand National is better than sex. This was the best twelve minutes of my life. Sex is an anti-climax after this! “
Best horses ridden: See More Business, Call Equiname, Rough Quest, Katarino, Tiutchev, Bacchanal, Stormyfairweather, Marlborough and Fondmort.
Cheltenham Festival wins
Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup: 1999 See More Business
Queen Mother Champion Chase: 1999 Call Equiname
Bonusprint Stayers´ Hurdle: 2000 Bacchanal
Cathcart Chase: 1994 Raymylette, 1999 & 2000 Stormyfairweather
William Hill National Hunt Chase: 1995 Rough Quest, 2000 Marlborough
Elite Racing Club Triumph: 1999 Katarino
Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase: 2000 Tiutchev
Coral Cup Hurdle: 2003 Xenophon
Royal & Sun Alliance: 2005 Trabolgan
Other big race wins:
Martell Grand National (1996 Rough Quest)
King George VI Chase (1999 See More Business)
Gerry Fielden (1999 Bacchanal)
Tote Gold Trophy Hurdle (1998 Sharpical, 2000 Geos, 2001 Landing Light, )
Victor Chandler Chase (1996 Big Matt)
Agfa Diamond Chase (1996 Amtrak Express)
Martell Aintree Hurdle (1997 Bimsey)
Feltham Novices (1997 Fiddling the Facts, 2000 Bacchanal)
BMW Chase (1998 Big Matt)
Adonis Novices Hurdle (1999 Katarino)
IAWS Champion 4y.o. Hurdle (1999 Katarino)
Pendil Trophy (1999 Makounji)
Mitsubishi Shogun (1999 Celibate, 2001 Tiutchev)
Charlie Hall Chase (1999 & 2000 See More Business, 2002 Marlborough)
Martell Cup Chase (2000 See More Business)
Swordlestown Cup (2000 Tiutchev)
Bula Hurdle (2000 Geos)
Christmas Hurdle (2000 Geos, 2001 Landing Light)
Pillar Chase (2001 See More Business)
Tote Gold Trophy Chase (2001 Marlborough)
Extraman Trophy (2001 Fondmort)
Reynoldstown Novices (2001 Bacchanal)
Long Distance Hurdle (2002 Bacchanal)
Tripleprint Gold Cup (2002 Fondmort, 2003 Iris Royal)
Cleeve Hurdle (2002 Katies Charm)
Paddy Power Gold Cup (2003 Fondmort)
Pierse Hurdle (2003 Xenophon)
Mildmay Novices (2003 Irish Hussar)
Victor Chandler Chase (2004 Isio)
Deloitte Novice Hurlde (2005 Royal Paradise)
Byrne Group Novice Hurdle (2005 Justified)
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