Grand National winning jockey says Sligo homecoming was ‘a massive honour’



The Sligo-born Aintree Grant National winning jockey Derek Fox has described the civic reception given to him in his home town at the weekend, and the number of people who turned up to attend it, as ‘a massive honour.’

The reception for the Sligo Town native took place at the headquarters of Sligo County Council where he was given a number of special presentations as well as being invited to sign the Distinguished Visitors Book.

Derek, who has been passionate about horses since he was a child, told those present that winning a Grand National was one of the best feelings one could ever get in their life.

To have rode in the race and to have won it is even better than he ever could have imagined, he told those present at the civic reception.

And in his speech, he had a special mention for one person who has been with him since the beginning, his uncle and well-known trainer, Mark McNiff:

Among the proudest people present at the civic reception to see Derek honoured locally for his achievement was his mother, Jacqueline.

She recalled how Derek just loved horses from when he was a child, often going to Coney Island off the coast of Sligo to ride ponies:



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