Carl Llewellyn

Carl was born on July 29, 1965 in Pembrokeshire, Wales. He started his riding for his farmer father Eryl, riding in point to points and graduated to riding under rules, his first winner being Stargestic, trained by Roy Robinson, at Wolverhampton on March 14, 1986.

Carl started with Stan Mellor before moving on to Jim Old before going on to take the conditional jockey's championship in 1988. He then went to ride for Tim Forster, before moving on to Nigel Twiston-Davies where he spent almost the next twenty years!

The partnership proved to be highly successful and provided many winners of top class races including six at the Cheletenham Festival - 1992 Tipping Tim in the William Hill Chase 1993 Gaeslstrom in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle, 1994 Arctic Kinsman in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, 1998 Upgrade in the Triumph Hurdle, 2000 Rubhahunish in the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle and 2004 Fundamentalist in the Royal and Sun Alliance Novices' hurdle. Carl's first Cheltenham Festival success however came in the 1988 Mildmay Of Flete Chase on Smart Tar for trainer Mark Wilkinson.

Other big winners included Tipping Tim in the 1992 Paddy Power Gold Cup, Kings Road in the 1999 Sefton Novices' Hurdle, Sweet Duke in the 1993 Long Walk Hurdle, Mister Morose in the 2000 Aintree Hurdle, Ollie Magern in the 2004 Feltham Novices' Chase and two Charlie Hall Chases in 1994 with Young Hustler and 2005 with Ollie Magern.

Carl's record as a jockey stands the closest scrutiny and with two Grand National wins to his credit, the first on the Nick Gaselee-trained giant 18.1 hands Party Politics in 1992 and the second in 1998 on the Twiston-Davies trained Earth Summit, he can truly be called as top class. Carl had more than a slice of luck in winning the National twice, as he is the first to admit. On both occasions he was a substitute jockey when regular riders Andy Adams and Tom Jenks suffered serious injuries preventing them from riding.

Carl has suffered plenty of injuries himself during his long and successful career, including breaking both legs, his left arm, his collarbone and dislocating his elbow. His best ever season as a jockey was during the 1997/98 season when he rode 82 winners.

Carl moved to Lambourn to become assistant trainer and jockey to Mark Pitman at Weathercock House in August 2005, taking over the reins himself ten months later. Within a couple of weeks, he had landed his first big prize when riding and training 33/1 chance Run For Paddy, to capture the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. However, despite several successes on behalf of Weathercock House, he was replaced by Warren Greatrex.

With the announcement being made on June 7th 2009, Carl returned to Grange Hill Farm as assistant to Nigel.

Another chapter of success is sure to follow!

Carl's statistics as jockey. Carl's statistics as trainer.

Earth Summit's National

With Digger & Marcella

Celebration time!