PICTURES: Recently retired jockey Rachael Blackmore shares rare glimpse into personal life

Rachael Blackmore has given a rare insight into her personal life following her retirement from the saddle in early May. 

The Grand National and Gold Cup-winning rider called time on her career last month saying: "My days of being a jockey have come to an end.

READ NEXT: Tipperary jockey Rachael Blackmore announces her retirement

"I feel the time is right. I’m sad but I’m also incredibly grateful for what my life has been for the past 16 years. I just feel so lucky, to have been legged up on the horses I have, and to have experienced success I never even dreamt could be possible."

The horse racing legend posted several pictures to her over 60,000 followers on Instagram recently - which included snaps with her partner, Brian Hayes, as well as of her enjoying a holiday, dinner, and social events with her friends and family. 

Rachel and Brian are in a long-term relationship and though they keep their personal life mostly out of the public eye, she did open up about their shared home life in a 2021 interview.

"I live with two other jockeys, Patrick Mullins and Brian Hayes," she revealed. "It's a great house, located in Leighlinbridge, Carlow, close to all the big tracks in Ireland."

She added: "We don’t talk about racing half as much as people think. It’s just a normal house when we come home."

Rachel made international headlines in 2021 when she teamed up with the Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Times - which boasts strong Clonmel connections - to win the world’s greatest steeplechase at Aintree – the first woman to do so.

Speaking in an interview recently following her retirement, the Killenaule native opened up about her decision, revealing that the first inklings of retirement surfaced during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

READ NEXT: PICTURES: Incredible moments from Rachael Blackmore's exceptional time in the saddle

“When I was leaving the weighing room at Cheltenham on Friday this year, for the first time I just had a little thought in my head: ‘Will I be back here next season?’” she shared.

Blackmore’s final win came earlier this month at Cork, when she guided Ma Belle Etoile to victory. It was the moment, she said, that solidified her decision to step away.

“I was going to Cork the other day and I thought, ‘If this one wins then maybe that’s the time to call it’.”

In 2021 the 35-year-old Killenaule woman became the first female jockey to win the Aintree Grand National in the 182-year history of the race when riding Minella Times. In the same year she also became the first woman to be leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival with six victories, including the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle. 

The following year she became the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup when riding A Plus Tard.

READ NEXT: Tipperary's Rachael Blackmore tipped to star in huge TV show after recent retirement

While the 34-year-old has no immediate plans for her next move, she’s embracing the chance to reflect and reset after a life consumed by the demands of elite racing.

“It wasn’t part of a massive plan to retire that Saturday. There is nothing set up, but I am very lucky that I can take a few weeks and decide what might be next,” she said. “It will be a very different life from the one I had previously.”

Rachael Blackmore has carved her name into the annals of sporting history.

From becoming the first woman to win the Grand National to lifting the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle, she has consistently defied expectations, smashed glass ceilings, and inspired a generation.