Nina Carberry: Leading jump jockey to miss rest of season due to pregnancy - CNN

    Nina Carberry: Pregnant jockey to miss rest of season

    Jump jockey Nina Carberry has ridden six winners at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival.

    Story highlights

    • Carberry misses rest of season after announcing pregnancy
    • 32-year-old is leading amateur female jump jockey

    (CNN)One of the world's leading female amateur jump jockeys is set to miss the rest of the season ... but for the best possible reason.

    Nina Carberry announced Friday that she is expecting her first child with husband Ted Walsh Jr.
      "I am going to miss the rest of the season as I am delighted to announce that I am expecting my first baby," she said.
        "I would like to thank all the owners and trainers who have supported me and I wish them every success in the season ahead."
        Competing as recently as Sunday, Carberry has become known for her exploits at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival where she has ridden six winners.
          The Irish amateur claimed her fourth victory in the festival's Cross Country Chase in March and won the Foxhunter Chase two days later.
          In the last 10 years, the 32-year-old has ridden in the Grand National at Aintree on six occasions and completed the challenging course four times -- both records for a female jockey.
          Carberry also rode Organisedconfusion to victory in the 2011 Irish Grand National.
            Her husband is the son of Irish trainer Ted Walsh and brother of jockeys Ruby and Katie.
            The National Hunt -- or jump racing -- season runs mainly from October until the end of April.