Rachael Blackmore has been announced as one of the speakers at this year’s Who Won Sponsorship Series.
Blackmore announced her retirement following a groundbreaking 16-year career earlier this year. During her time in the saddle, she became the first female jockey to win the Aintree Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Since riding her first winner at Thurles in 2011, the Tipperary native has blazed a trail in the horse racing world, achieving astonishing success in a sport that only first allowed women in 1973.
Blackmore was named champion conditional rider in 2017, the first of many landmark moments in her career, and she had her first Cheltenham winner two years later with A Plus Tard, as well as her first Grade One winner at the same festival.
During her breakout 2021 season, Blackmore was the leading jockey at Cheltenham, riding six winners at the showpiece festival, before sealing the Grand National aboard Minella Times in front of empty stands at Aintree but an estimated global audience of 500 million.
She was later named RTÉ Sports Person of the Year and BBC World Sport Star of the Year for her achievements before becoming the first woman to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022.
The Who Won Sponsorship Series event will be held on November 4th at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.
This year’s event, in partnership with ONSIDE and the Marketing Institute Ireland and supported by RTÉ, will explore ‘The Classics Vs New Hits’, where sponsorship tradition meets future frontiers. Attendees will gain insights on new emerging trends, upcoming sponsorship opportunities and the power of collaboration.
Blackmore, who will address guests on the day, will be joined by Kim Kirwan (ONSIDE), Shane McGonigle (Marketing Institute Ireland), Gavin Deans (RTÉ) and Darragh Maloney (RTÉ), all of whom attended the recent launch.
Described as an essential event for anyone invested in the future of Irish sponsorship, tickets are on sale now at www.mii.ie.
