It is quite well known that just one horse, Dawn Run, has ever won the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and that Paddy Mullins’ brilliant racemare was ridden to both victories – but not in between – by John Joseph ‘Jonjo’ O’Neill. Of course, Jonjo O’Neill retired, as a jockey, shortly after his historic Gold Cup win, but several jockeys still riding have also completed the Champion Hurdle – Cheltenham Gold Cup double, albeit on different horses.
Reigning champion jockey Richard Johnson rode his first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Looks Like Trouble, in 2000 and, so far, his one and only Champion Hurdle winner, Rooster Booster, in 2003. Barry Geraghty, too, won the Cheltenham Gold Cup before the Champion Hurdle; he partnered Kicking King to victory in the ‘Blue Riband’ event in 2005 and completed the double on Punjabi in 2009. Rupert ‘Ruby’ Walsh actually won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, on Kauto Star in 2007 and 2009, before winning the Champion Hurdle for the first time on Hurricane Fly in 2011; nevertheless, he has since won the prestigious hurdling event three more times, on Hurricane Fly, again, in 2013, Faugheen in 2015 and Annie Power in 2016, to become the joint-leading rider in the history of the race.