Thomas Geoffrey ‘Tom’ Scudamore announced his shock retirement, with immediate effect, on February 16, 2023, shortly after being unseated from Ya Know Yaseff, trained by David Pipe, in a novices’ handicap chase at Leicester. Scudamore had previously suffered concussion when his mount, Royal Defender, was brought down in a ‘bumper’ at Chepstow on February 3 and, having received ‘a right kicking’ at Leicester, he had few qualms about hanging up his boots. Reflecting on his spur-of-the-moment decision, Scudamore said, ‘At my age [40] you have to be careful. I feel I have had a bit of a warning.’
Scudamore, the son of eight-time champion National Hunt jockey Peter, rode his last winner, Pachacuti, also trained by Pipe, in a handicap hurdle at Fakenham on February 2, 2023. All told, he rode 1,499 winners under National Hunt Rules, all bar one on British soil, making him the tenth most profilic Jump jockey of all time in Great Britain and Ireland. He enjoyed his most successful season, numerically, in 2014/15, when he rode 150 winners and finished third in the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship.
Scudamore effectively rode his first ‘winner’ of any description, Nordic Breeze, trained by Martin Pipe, in an amateur riders’ handicap on the Flat at Warwick on July 3, 1998. However, Nordic Breeze, who was beaten five lengths, was only awarded the race after an investigation by the British Amateur Jockeys’ Association revealed that the first past the post, Broughtons Lure, was ridden by former American professional Angel Monserrate, masquerading as amateur ‘Angel Jacobs’.
Over obstacles, Scudamore rode his first winner, Young Thruster, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, in an amatuer riders’ novices’ hurdle at Newton Abbott on November 4, 1998. He was champion amateur rider in 2000/01 and, having turned professional, rode his first winner in the paid ranks, Belle D’Anjou, also trained by Martin Pipe, in a handicap hurdle at Chepstow on October 6, 2001.