Tracy Piggott
Born1966 (age 56–57)
England
OccupationBroadcaster
Children1
ParentLester Piggott (father)
RelativesErnest Piggott
(great-grandfather)

Tracy Piggott (born 1966) is a British-born former jockey and broadcaster, best known for her work commentating on horse racing on Irish state broadcaster RTÉ.

Early life

Piggott is the daughter of Susan Armstrong and champion jockey Lester Piggott[1] and member of an English family which has been involved in horse racing since the eighteenth century. Her great-grandfather Ernest Piggott won the Grand National as a jockey three times, in 1912, 1918 and 1919, while her grandfather Keith Piggott won the Grand National as a trainer in 1963. Piggott has a sister, ex-eventer Maureen, and a half-brother, Jamie. She has one daughter, Thea, born in 2007.

Career

Piggott worked as a "galloper" (exercise rider or work rider) for horse trainers in the US. She moved to England to work with her mother, buying and selling horses. She moved to Ireland in 1986.[2] where she worked as an assistant to horse trainer Tommy Stack for two years.[3] She competed as a jockey at several meets, winning the Ladies' Race in Leopardstown in 1988. The head of RTE Sports asked her to audition as a broadcaster, with her first live programme being on June 1989 at the Derby weekend at Curragh.[4]

She worked as a broadcaster with RTÉ[5] until 2020, concentrating primarily on horse racing, but also the coverage for three Olympic Games, the Special Olympics and the Paralympics.[6] She has been a pitch-side reporter for rugby internationals and Heineken Cup matches as well as greyhound racing and showjumping. In the late 1990s, she was the presenter on the flagship sports programme Sports Stadium.[3]

Piggott has worked on television programmes including:

Charity

She is a member of the Irish Sports Council, and has worked on behalf of charities.[9] , and Playing for Life.

  • She set up the charity Playing for Life, which aimed to "help communities in Africa by creating an educational series of games, focusing on health, self-respect, friendship, social integration, participation and team skills."[10]
  • In 1998 she swam across the Galway Bay to raise money for the John Durcan Leukaemia Trust
  • In 2000 she cycled coast to coast across America to raise money for the National Council for the Blind of Ireland
  • She also supported Racing for Rosalyn[11]

Personal life

She got engaged to Stephen Mahon in 2007.[12] In late 2010, she took out an injunction against him, alleging that he had spread malicious falsehoods about her.[2] Mahon had previously been convicted of animal cruelty.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Julian Wilson (29 May 2022). "Lester Pigott obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Tracy Piggott, riding through the tough times with a winning smile". 20 November 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Tracy Piggott - Personally Speaking Bureau". Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Fiona McGoran. "Ireland: Her little charity is the hot favourite". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Greg Wood (20 September 2013). "Owner removes top-class chaser Flemenstar from Peter Casey yard". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Melanie Finn (31 January 2020). "I'm devastated RTÉ doesn't want me back and wish I'd had more warning - Piggott". independent.ie. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "RTE Television - The Restaurant Guest Chefs Tracy Piggott". RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Tracy Piggott". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Fiona McGoran. "Ireland: Her little charity is the hot favourite". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Fiona McGoran. "Ireland: Her little charity is the hot favourite". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Tracy Piggott to lead fundraiser in memory of little Rosabel Monroe". independent.ie. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  12. ↑ "Chapman's early gaffe". The Observer. 7 January 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "Piggott insists her fiance is not guilty of horse cruelty". 30 May 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
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