No-one likes getting injured, and no-one is not going to miss not getting injured, but I don’t think it was injury that made my retirement decision for me.
I called time on my career a year ago at Punchestown and I think it was because of the relentlessness of riding, and the pressure of it. What more was there to achieve?
READ: Paddy’s guide to sport that’s still actually happening
To keep myself agile and moving after the injuries, I was having to work incredibly hard in a rehab sense.
To keep the movement in my shoulders, and keep the movement in my hips, I was having to do a lot of work, so maybe it was the whole workload that I wanted to change?
It probably was the workload that I’d had enough of, but it’s been a year now since I retired and the only injury that’s comes any way against me is my left shoulder.
Definitely the range I have in that is quite restricted compared to the other one. But of all the injuries I’ve had, just to have movement restricted in one shoulder isn’t too bad.
Some would say I’ve turned into a bit of a ‘media wh*re’ since my retirement! Obviously, I do the radio (RTE, Game On) Monday and Tuesday, I’m an ambassador for Paddy Power, I work for Racing TV, ITV, and I write articles for The Examiner.
READ: Ruby Walsh: Fear of being replaced was always present throughout my career
Maybe it’s the structure of it that I like. As a jockey there is no structure. You know there’s racing, but you don’t know if you will or won’t be riding or where you’ll be going.
At least, I feel like I know now what it feels like for normal people to have a normal life. I have a diary now and I can plan things with Gillian and the kids and I really enjoy that too.
FROM PADDY POWER’S RACING ICONS DOCUMENTARY WITH RUBY…
- I took Annie Power home for the summer… and horse joined our family BBQs!
- My biggest Cheltenham regret and one race I’d love to have a second chance at
- Ruby’s hilarious story about dad Ted’s terrible medical advice after nasty leg break