You don’t come across many tall figures in the weighing rooms of British racecourses, but when the Cheltenham Festival got underway on Tuesday, two riders who were (relatively) 223cm (6ft 4in) tall Teachers will walk side by side.
Jack Andrews, 25, from Warwickshire, shot to fame last year when he appeared at the festival as the world’s tallest jockey, but this week a rival for the title – Thomas Costello from County Clare, Ireland.
The pair will not compete against each other on the first day of the festival, but may be persuaded to stand back-to-back to see who is the tallest among them.
Costello, 22, said being a jockey of such height has had its lows. “Sometimes I ask myself why I am a jockey. It’s hard – I can’t lie. I try to control my diet and do a lot of exercise to try to control my weight, but it’s difficult.
“Breakfast is probably a no-no. For lunch, I try to have a sandwich and then have some pasta or something for dinner, nothing too heavy. I try to drink lots of water and avoid sugary drinks. Chocolate and fizzy drinks are my sins Fun. It’s hard not to snack, but I try not to snack because it just doesn’t work for me.”
He said he was four to five inches taller than most of his fellow riders, but he didn’t think he would survive long in the race.
“I had to get a college degree in business because with my height I probably wouldn’t be able to be a jockey that long,” Costello said. “I’m going to give it my best and enjoy it for a few years. Every day is a bonus – the weight will inevitably catch up with me.”
He often gets some double feelings. “When I first walked into the weighing room, they looked at me like I had four heads. But once you start riding winners, you get accepted very quickly.”
Costello is based in Closuton, County Carlow, Ireland, and works with legendary horse trainer Willie Mullins, owner of 94 Chelteners Tom’s Day champion and hopes to become the first horse to win 100 this week. Costello rides a horse named Asian Master, which belongs to his family.
“He’s not the tallest horse, about 16.1 hands, but he’s a very well-built horse, strong and broad, so when you ride him he feels like a big horse, and when he weighed in at Willie it was almost It’s the heaviest horse.”
Andrews described how he adjusts his riding style and posture to suit his body shape, tucking his legs and knees in to ensure he’s “clean” during races, especially when jumping fences.
“One of the best compliments someone can give me is that I don’t look tall on a horse,” he said.
He sounded unconcerned about being overtaken as the longest distance rider, concluding: “I’ll have to stand next to him and see who’s taller.”
