“Success is no accident. It’s hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, and sacrifice.” – Pele
This is the story of one of the most recognized jockeys in the world today, William Buick. From his early life to his peak moments, the 36-year-old Norwegian-born British has shown nothing but dedication and drive towards his passion.
So far, with 18 years of experience in horse racing, William has an interesting story—one with lessons for aspiring champions. We discuss the key aspects of his life, the milestones he accomplished, his major wins, and most importantly, the lessons you can learn from his career in this post.
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Early Life and Background
On July 22, 1988, William Buick was born to a Scottish father, Walter, and a Danish mother, Maria, in Norway. His father was an 8-time Scandinavian champion jockey, while his mother was a show jumper and dressage rider. So, it was easy for Buick to pick up the habit of riding horses from a young age.
His mother was not totally in support, but he had his father’s go-ahead and would most times take a ride in the morning before school. This made Buick a regular visitor at the stables of trainers Reg Holinshead, Andrew Balding, and Marcus Tregoning during summer holidays.
His brothers, Martin and Andrew, were both indifferent towards the sport, but William’s passion kept pushing him. Hence, immediately after school, he subjected himself as an apprentice to Balding’s training.
In August 2006, at the age of 18, William Buick’s trainer, Andrew Balding gave him his first race. Although he was small for his age, he rode Tiny Tim at Brighton. Then he moved on to bag his first win at the Bank On Benny in September. By December of that same year, he had successfully ridden 10 winning horses, earning praise from former trainer Ian Balding as “the best apprentice we’ve ever had.”
Two years later, at the 2008 British Horseracing Awards, Buick won the Apprentice Jockey of the Year. It was the second consecutive time, and by all standards of performance and passion, he earned it.
Career and Passion
It is worth noting that every year between 2009 and now, William Buick achieved a major accomplishment.
In 2009, he got his first Group 1 win at Woodbine, and shortly after, he was appointed a stable jockey for John Gosden in 2010. Their partnership started strong with a win at the Dubai Carnival of 2010, then his first Classic win followed after more victories at the Arlington Million and in the St Leger.
However, 2010 ended badly for Buick when he fell and suffered a bleeding on the brain and was out of action for six weeks. William came back better in 2011 and secured his first career century of winners in Britain, wins in the Sprint Cup, and a second St Leger victory.
His 2012 season was even more spectacular, with 9 Group 1 wins, victories in Italy and France, and third place in the British Flat Jockey’s Championship.
Buick left Gosden in 2014 and joined trainer Charlie Appleby. Before he did though, he brought home the 2013 Yorkshire Oaks and Irish Champion Stakes with The Fugue. When describing his new partnership with Charlie, he simply said it was “the most coveted in world racing.”
Both 2015 and 2016 saw landmark victories at the$10 million Dubai World Cup, Group 1 wins in the Eclipse Stakes, and lots more. Another short injury hindered his success in 2017, but he eventually returned and ended the year with a win at the Breeder’s Cup meeting in October.
Buick added a career highlight with a win in the Epsom Derby in 2018. He continued the streak with international victories before getting sidelined for three months due to another fall. His consistency didn’t wear off, and after racing returned after suspension in 2020, he bagged 8 Group 1 wins, coming in second in the jockeys championship.
In 2021 he stepped up with 9 European Group 1 wins, won multiple races, and was awarded the Lester’s Flat Jockey of the Year award. Buick’s form continued in 2022 with a Classic win on Native Trail, a second Flat Jockey of the Year award, and was crowned British Champion Flat Jockey.
He retained his champion jockey title in 2023 and went on to win the 2000 Guineas Stakes in 2024. So far, with all of these achievements, William Buick net worth is estimated at millions of dollars, but he’s still miles away from the wealthiest jockeys alive.
Key Milestones and Major Wins
Les Brown once said, “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.”
With dozens of Group race wins recorded, here are the major victories that have significantly impacted William Buick’s career:
- British Flat Racing Champion Apprentice in 2008
- St Leger in 2010, 2011 and 2021
- Irish Champion Stakes in 2013
- Dubai World Cup in 2015
- Epsom Derby in 2018
- British Flat Racing Champion Jockey in 2022 and 2023
- 2000 Guineas in 2024
Conclusion: Lessons in Becoming a Champion
The number one lesson in becoming a champion was summarized by Tim Notke. He said, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” This simply means that it’s possible William Buick isn’t the most talented jockey. However, his hard work consistently paid off, giving him the recognition he deserved.
He learnt from the best, subjecting himself to the tutorship of some of the best handlers: Balding first, Gosden, and later on, Charlie Appleby. You can see from the way William Buick rides horses to victory that he was committed to his training.
Despite initial concerns due to his size, William Buick is fearless, open to challenges, and never gives up. Several times in his career, he had sustained major injuries from falls, but his drive to return was stronger, and upon each return, he bagged more wins. This is what champions are made of, and this is why Buick is a celebrated jockey today.