Ask ten racing fans to name the National Hunt jockeys to follow in 2026/27 and you will probably receive at least twelve different answers. Someone will insist championship numbers are all that matter, somebody else will point towards Cheltenham winners, and one person at the end of the bar will still be explaining why their favourite rider is hopelessly underrated.
That is exactly what makes this such a good discussion. This is not an official ranking, nor am I claiming these are the only ten jump jockeys worth watching. My selection covers Britain and Ireland and considers current form, championship positions, big-race records and the strength of the stables behind each rider. There is also room for the occasional good old-fashioned hunch.
That brings established names such as Harry Skelton, Sean Bowen and Paul Townend together with emerging riders including Daniel King. Some will chase championships, while others will wait all winter for a handful of Grade 1 opportunities at Cheltenham, Aintree or Punchestown. So, order yourself a pint, settle in and feel free to tell me where I have gone wrong at the end.
How I chose these National Hunt jockeys for 2026/27
I have not simply copied the current jockey championship tables and added a few famous names. If we did that, this would be over before the head disappeared from the first pint.
Instead, I considered:
- Current form and consistency, including results during the summer jumping season.
- Stable strength and potential rides, because even the best jockey needs the right horse underneath them.
- Jockey-trainer partnerships, particularly those capable of producing Grade 1 contenders.
- Big-race opportunities at the Cheltenham Festival, Aintree, Punchestown and the Dublin Racing Festival.
- Temperament and tactical judgement when a race does not unfold as neatly as expected.
- The story behind the season, from championship battles to emerging riders taking the next step.
Here is the quick version before we get into the detail:
- Harry Skelton – the early British championship leader.
- Sean Bowen – the reigning British champion.
- Harry Cobden – JP McManus’s new retained rider.
- Gavin Sheehan – an in-form and adaptable freelance.
- James Bowen – a rising British big-race jockey.
- Paul Townend – Willie Mullins’ leading rider.
- Jack Kennedy – the reigning Irish champion.
- Darragh O’Keeffe – the current Irish championship leader.
- Mark Walsh – a proven Grade 1 jockey.
- Daniel King – one of Ireland’s emerging talents.
1. Harry Skelton – British championship leader
Harry Skelton could hardly have made a stronger start to the 2026/27 British Jump Jockeys’ Championship. By late September, he had ridden 86 winners from 243 rides at a remarkable strike rate of 35 per cent, giving him a clear advantage over Sean Bowen. The 2020/21 champion knows summer jumping does not settle the title, but an early lead of that size certainly saves a few sleepless nights.
The greatest reason for optimism is the strength of the Dan Skelton yard. Britain’s reigning champion jumps trainer has established the depth needed to compete from ordinary weekday cards to the biggest Saturdays. Harry should therefore receive opportunities on horses at virtually every level throughout the season.
He is also excellent on a bold, attacking jumper. When a Skelton horse finds a rhythm near the front, rider and trainer often appear to be working from the same script. With Grey Dawning, L’Eau Du Sud, Mydaddypaddy, Kabral Du Mathan and Maestro Conti among the stable’s leading names, there should be no shortage of interesting decisions.
My view? Harry is the man to beat in Britain at this stage, although winter has a habit of turning comfortable leads into nervous glances at the scoreboard.
2. Sean Bowen – reigning British champion jockey
Writing off Sean Bowen because he trails Harry Skelton in the early 2026/27 standings would be like leaving the pub quiz after getting the first question wrong. There is far too much racing still to come, and nobody needs to explain the value of hard work or relentless travelling to Britain’s reigning champion jump jockey.
Bowen rode 241 winners during a superb 2025/26 campaign, retaining the British Jump Jockeys’ Championship by a margin of 114 over Harry Skelton. It was his second consecutive title after first becoming champion in 2024/25. He rarely depends on one powerful stable, instead collecting rides for a broad range of trainers and making the most of busy cards that other leading jockeys may overlook. That approach requires stamina, patience and, presumably, a car that knows every service station in Britain by name.
He had already reached 63 winners by late September this season. His volume of rides remains a major advantage, while his ability to build relationships across several yards means he is rarely short of opportunities.
There is still room for his record at major spring meetings such as Cheltenham and Aintree to become stronger, but that gives the season an extra edge. Bowen has already proved he can dominate the weekly grind; the next challenge is attaching more headline victories to those enormous totals.
3. Harry Cobden – JP McManus’s retained jockey
No jockey begins the 2026/27 National Hunt season with a more intriguing new job than Harry Cobden. The 2023/24 British champion became JP McManus’s retained jockey in Britain and Ireland from May 2026, exchanging the familiar role of Paul Nicholls’ stable jockey for access to one of the deepest collections of jumping talent in the sport.
It is a wonderful opportunity, although not necessarily a simple one. McManus has horses spread across many leading stables, so Cobden will need to manage travel, relationships and difficult choices on both sides of the Irish Sea. On the positive side, “Which Grade 1 horse should I ride?” is not the worst problem to have on a Monday morning.
The early British Jump Jockeys’ Championship numbers do not tell his whole story. Cobden had 17 winners from 71 rides by late September, producing a strike rate of 24 per cent. His schedule is likely to be shaped more by quality than volume, particularly once the core winter jumping season gathers pace.
I will be watching how quickly he builds partnerships with the McManus horses ahead of the major meetings at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown. If those relationships click, Cobden could enjoy the biggest single season of his career, even without challenging for the championship.
4. Gavin Sheehan – Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winner
Gavin Sheehan is the sort of jockey trainers want when they believe they have a genuine chance in a big race. He may not have the automatic firepower behind him that Paul Townend or Harry Skelton enjoys, but he has repeatedly shown that he can deliver when the right opportunity comes along.
His victory aboard Johnny’s Jury in the 2026 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle was a perfect example. Sent off at 20/1, the Jamie Snowden-trained grey came through strongly under a patient ride to give Sheehan another Grade 1 success at the Cheltenham Festival — the sort of stage where every decision is examined with a magnifying glass.
The 2026/27 season has started well too. By 29 September, Sheehan sat third in the British Jump Jockeys’ Championship with 25 winners from 104 rides and an impressive strike rate of 24 per cent. Those numbers suggest considerably more than a jockey simply waiting around for festival week.
Sheehan’s greatest strength is his adaptability. He can ride patiently, commit from the front or produce a horse late, while his position as a high-class freelance allows him to collect promising rides from several leading yards. He may not win the championship, but I would be amazed if he did not influence some important races before the season is finished.
5. James Bowen – Nicky Henderson’s rising star
Being Sean Bowen’s younger brother may still be the easiest introduction, but James has long since earned the right to be discussed on his own terms. At 25, he has become an increasingly important member of Nicky Henderson’s team at Seven Barrows and looks capable of developing into one of Britain’s leading big-race jockeys.
Bowen enjoyed a breakthrough Cheltenham Festival in 2026, riding his first two winners at the meeting. He partnered Holloway Queen to victory in the National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase before winning the BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle aboard Jingko Blue the following day. By 29 September, he also stood fourth in the British Jump Jockeys’ Championship with 21 winners from 136 rides.
His calm, balanced style appears particularly well suited to inexperienced horses, while greater exposure to the best of the Seven Barrows team should help him progress further. The fascinating question is how the riding arrangements at Henderson’s yard evolve during the 2026/27 season.
Nico de Boinville remains an outstanding jockey with a formidable Grade 1 record, so there is no need to manufacture a changing-of-the-guard drama every time James gets on a good horse. Racing creates enough drama without us adding background music.
Even so, Bowen’s responsibilities are growing. This could be the season in which he moves from highly regarded deputy to genuine top-table regular, especially if Henderson’s younger horses progress as expected.
6. Paul Townend – Willie Mullins’ record-breaking jockey
Paul Townend does not need to lead the Irish Jump Jockeys’ Championship in September to prove anything. When Willie Mullins begins rolling out the heavy artillery, his number-one rider will once again be partnering some of the most talented National Hunt horses in training.
His 2026 Cheltenham Festival was extraordinary. Townend became the first jockey to win the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup at the same Festival, partnering Lossiemouth, Il Etait Temps and Gaelic Warrior. His victory aboard Gaelic Warrior was his fifth in the Gold Cup, taking him past Pat Taaffe and making him the most successful jockey in the history of the race.
The celebrations did not stop at Cheltenham. A month later, Townend rode I Am Maximus to a second Grand National victory at Aintree, repeating the partnership’s 2024 success. Not a bad way to spend the spring.
Yes, he rides for the strongest jumps stable in the game. That is usually mentioned as if somebody simply selected Townend’s name from a hat. Willie Mullins trusts him with these horses because he has the judgement, composure and nerve to make extremely difficult decisions look wonderfully uncomplicated.
Townend may not ride the most winners every week, but that is hardly the point. On the afternoons that define the National Hunt season, there is still nobody I would rather have on my side.
7. Jack Kennedy – reigning Irish champion jockey
Jack Kennedy enters the 2026/27 National Hunt season as the reigning Irish champion jockey after securing his second title in dramatic fashion. He defeated Darragh O’Keeffe by 102 winners to 99, with the battle remaining undecided until the final day of the season at Punchestown.
Kennedy also rode 12 Grade 1 winners at home and abroad during the 2025/26 campaign, a reminder that his championship was built on quality as well as quantity. As Gordon Elliott’s stable jockey, he has access to one of the largest and most varied squads in Irish jump racing.
He can be riding an inexperienced novice at a quiet Irish meeting one day and arriving at the Cheltenham Festival with a serious Grade 1 chance the next. That range is valuable, and few jockeys appear more composed when a major race becomes tactical.
The familiar concern is his injury record. Jump racing is not exactly a profession chosen for its excellent health insurance, and Kennedy has endured more interruptions than his talent deserves. A clear run through the winter would make him central to the Irish jockeys’ championship again and a major threat at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown.
For me, Kennedy at his best belongs in any conversation about the finest National Hunt jockeys in Britain or Ireland. The hope is simply that we get to see enough of him.
8. Darragh O’Keeffe – Irish championship leader
Darragh O’Keeffe came painfully close to becoming Irish champion jockey last season, finishing only three winners behind Jack Kennedy in a title race that continued until the final day at Punchestown. His response has been impressive rather than sulky: by 28 September, he had already reached 39 winners, placing him 15 clear of Daniel King at the top of the 2026/27 standings.
O’Keeffe has also taken over as Henry de Bromhead’s number-one jockey following the retirement of Rachael Blackmore. That position should provide him with valuable opportunities in major races, while his willingness to ride for a variety of trainers gives him the volume required for a serious championship challenge.
He is strong in a finish, dependable over fences and rarely seems flustered when a horse needs organising. Last season’s narrow defeat could now become useful motivation: O’Keeffe knows exactly what is required to remain in contention and has already created a valuable early cushion.
Of course, the Irish winter jumping season will bring the Mullins, Elliott and McManus battalions into sharper focus, so the current jockey standings are far from the finished picture. Still, O’Keeffe has earned the right to be considered a genuine championship favourite. Calling him an outsider now would feel several months out of date.
9. Mark Walsh – one of Ireland’s leading big-race jockeys
Mark Walsh begins the 2026/27 season in one of the most interesting positions in Irish jump racing. In January, it was announced that Harry Cobden would replace him as JP McManus’s retained jockey from May. Walsh responded to that news in the most persuasive way possible: by riding four Grade 1 winners at the Dublin Racing Festival shortly afterwards.
Those Leopardstown victories came aboard Kaid d’Authie, Majborough, Narciso Has and Fact To File, all trained by Willie Mullins and owned by JP McManus. Walsh then partnered Dinoblue to defend her Mares’ Chase title at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, making her the first dual winner of the Grade 2 contest. If the intention was to remind everyone that he remains an elite big-race jockey, message received.
The new arrangement may reduce the number of first-choice rides available to Walsh in the famous green-and-gold silks, particularly when Cobden travels to Ireland. It could also open doors with other owners and trainers. They know exactly what he brings: experience, patience and an excellent understanding of how major Irish races develop.
There is something appealing about a proven rider beginning a season with a point to make. Walsh may receive fewer obvious headlines in advance, but it would be foolish to overlook him when the serious prizes are on the table.
10. Daniel King – a rising star of Irish jump racing
Every list needs at least one jockey whose story feels as though it is only just beginning, and Daniel King earns that place comfortably. Now 21, he produced one of the stories of the summer by winning both the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle during an extraordinary 24 hours at the 2026 Galway Festival.
King Alexander, trained by Willie Mullins, landed the Galway Plate before Tony Martin’s Putapoundinthejar completed the double the following day. King became the first jockey since Joe Byrne in 1984 to win both races in the same year. One major Galway success can change a young rider’s career; two in roughly 24 hours tends to make trainers remember your phone number.
By 28 September, King remained second to Darragh O’Keeffe in the 2026/27 Irish National Hunt jockeys’ championship with 24 winners. That is an excellent position for a young rider still establishing himself alongside Ireland’s leading names.
The next challenge is sustaining that momentum when the established stars and powerful winter stables move into top gear. That challenge is precisely why he is on this list. King has already demonstrated courage, timing and a remarkably cool head. Now we get to discover how high he can climb.
Other National Hunt jockeys to follow in 2026/27
Reducing the field to ten inevitably means leaving out riders who could quite reasonably have made the main selection. These are my honourable mentions among the National Hunt jockeys to follow in 2026/27:
- Nico de Boinville, whose outstanding Grade 1 record and long partnership with Nicky Henderson at Seven Barrows require little introduction.
- Sam Twiston-Davies, still one of the most experienced and dependable jockeys on the British racing circuit.
- Brian Hughes, a three-time British champion jockey whose consistency remains particularly impressive at northern racecourses.
- Danny Mullins, capable of winning major races whenever opportunities arise from Willie Mullins’ powerful Closutton team.
- Keith Donoghue, a Grade 1-winning rider with an exceptional record in staying chases and Cheltenham’s cross-country contests.
- JJ Slevin, an accomplished big-race jockey with multiple Grade 1 victories and strong connections to several leading Irish stables.
You could move two or three of these names into the main selection without making the list look remotely ridiculous. In fact, that is half the fun of choosing ten jockeys to follow — and presumably where the comments section begins to get interesting.
Which National Hunt jockeys will define the 2026/27 season?
If I had to make three predictions over a fresh pint, I would say Harry Skelton is currently the rider most likely to win the British Jump Jockeys’ Championship. Jack Kennedy and Darragh O’Keeffe could give us another compelling battle for the Irish title, while Paul Townend may collect the greatest number of prizes that require wearing a suit for the presentation.
Harry Cobden’s first full season as JP McManus’s retained jockey could produce the most interesting subplot. James Bowen and Daniel King, meanwhile, have the opportunity to move their careers forward significantly, while Mark Walsh has every incentive to remind us that official hierarchies do not always decide what happens on the racecourse.
That is my selection of National Hunt jockeys to follow in 2026/27, but it is certainly not the final word. Which jockeys would make your list? Who have I underrated, and who have I included because I clearly stayed at the bar one round too long? Leave your selections in the comments and let the friendly argument begin.
FAQs about National Hunt jockeys in 2026/27
Sean Bowen is the reigning British champion jump jockey. He retained the title after recording more than 230 winners during the 2025/26 campaign, establishing a huge advantage over his nearest rivals through an exceptional workload and consistent strike rate.
Harry Skelton led the standings in late September 2026 with 86 winners, ahead of Sean Bowen on 63. The championship runs until 24 April 2027, however, so the demanding winter programme will be decisive.
Jack Kennedy won the Irish title with 102 victories. Darragh O’Keeffe finished only three winners behind on 99, while Paul Townend completed the campaign in third place.
Paul Townend holds the overall jockey record with five Cheltenham Gold Cup victories. He won twice on Al Boum Photo, twice on Galopin Des Champs and added his fifth aboard Gaelic Warrior in 2026.
Strength and balance matter, but there is much more to it. The best riders judge pace accurately, help a horse find a jumping rhythm, make quick tactical decisions and preserve enough energy for the finish. They also need bravery, resilience and the ability to move on from disappointment remarkably quickly.
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