Barry Geraghty is one of the greatest jockeys of all time.

In 2003 he became famous the world over when he won the English Grand National aboard Monty’s Pass. In 2009 he became the first jockey to win the ‘big four’ races at Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National. In 2020 he won five races at Cheltenham Festival, including the Champion Hurdle, marking an astonishing comeback from a broken leg that saw him spend fourteen weeks of 2019 with his leg in a metal frame.

Barry is covered in scars. He has broken all his limbs, his back on three occasions, his shoulders, his ribs and his nose, and acquired over 70 stitches to his face. He has survived falls too numerous to recall. And yet, he kept getting back on the horse.

Brilliantly capturing the irreplaceable buzz and adrenaline of life as a jockey, True Colours charts Barry’s constant striving to find balance between chasing the highs and managing the lows in a notoriously high-stakes industry.

It is a memoir about resilience, the mental power that enables the great to keep going despite the pain, despite the odds. It is about self-belief and how putting everything into something you’re passionate about can make dreams happen.

Niall Kelly

Books