In July, 2023, jockey Adrian Heskin announced that he would be returning to his native Ireland to continue his riding career. Born in Kilworth, Co. Cork on April 22, 1992, Heskin rode his first winner, Mystical Breeze, trained by Michael Hourigan, at Naas in March, 2009. He rode his first winner on British soil, Turf War, also trained by Hourigan, at Ffos Las three months later and, towards the end of the 2009/10 season, completed a notable double for the Co. Limerick handler on New Story in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and Church Island in the bet365 Gold Cup Chase at Sandown Park.
More recently, Heskin was appointed stable jockey to Gloucestershire trainer Tom George in September, 2016 and, the following year, was contracted to ride for leading National Hunt owner Max McNeil. Indeed, he enjoyed his most successful season in Britain, numerically and financially, in 2016/17, with 54 winners and over £800,000 in prize money. Victory for The Worlds End, in the familiar colours of the McNeill family – blue and white hoops, burgundy sleeves – in the Grade 1 Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April, 2017 was his seasonal highlight.
In his next five seasons, Heskin rode 38, 16, 39, 32 and 32 winners in Britain, but in 2022/23 his seasonal tally fell to 20 and, in 2023/24, so far, he has ridden just one winner from 17 rides. In May, 2023, McNeill announced that he would reducing the number of horses he owned and, consequently, would no longer be retaining Heskin. Reflecting on his decision to return home, Heskin said, ‘The plan for me and my wife Danielle was always to come back to Ireland and, without the certainty of a secure job in England for the coming campaign, it just brought that forward.’