General Macarthur once said “old Soldiers never die. They just fade away.” Well Anthony Peter McCoy, (or AP McCoy as he is popularly known as) arguably one of the greatest riders ever in the history of Horse Racing was never a soldier, but the regimen and the life he led would have made most soldiers feel they were in kindergarten. And believe you me he will never fade away despite the fact that he has announced his retirement after 23 years of competing over the Jumps.

 His 4356 Wins, his 2010 BBC Sports personality Of The Year Award, his 19 Consecutive Champion Jockey Titles in the UK have come at a price. 29 Fractures for the tumbles he took not to mention a series of other injuries and related ailments which would have made him a walking talking Medical Encyclopaedia was not enough to deter the man from doing what he loved and obviously lived to do - Ride one and a half tons of horse flesh over jumps at a rate of knots that would make spectators in the stands curl up their toes and cringe in fear.

 AP McCoy has come a long way since he rode his first winner over Jumps  back in 1992. Today as Aintree gets ready to host what  will probably be the 180^th running of the Grand Nationa,(goes back to 1836) AP McCoy will ride a horse named Shutthefrontdoor in the toughest Jump Race going in what could be his last National. He has announced his retirement from the sport after 23 years of subjecting his 5 Ft 9 inch frame to that torturous diet to keep his weight down in order to ride. The sentiment of an adoring fan following that will flock to Aintree this afternoon could well cost the Bookmakers a sum of over THIRTY MILLION POUND STERLING if Shutthefrontdoor manages to shut out the opposition.

For AP McCoy this could well be the sort of ending that fairy tales are made of. The greatest jockey to have ever ridden over jumps winning( for what will be only the second time) the greatest race that is run over jumps. Will this be McCoy’s National ? Or like other great superstars both human and equine–( Bradman and Red Rum come easily to mind) will he brought down in what will surely be his finest hour.  Win or lose AP will forever live on as the only sportsman from the field of Horse Racing to ever have been named the BBC Sportsman Of the Year.

When interviewed just before the race, this is what McCoy had to say

“When I rode in my first Grand National I remember being very excited because it’s the most famous horse race in the world and I felt very lucky and privileged to be taking part,” he said this week.

“I get the same feeling now and I’m probably more excited this year because it’s going to be the last one. I won’t be changing my approach but obviously beforehand I’ll have mixed feelings, different feelings. But when the time actually comes and once the race starts, it will be just as normal to be honest. There would be a bit of sadness too, knowing that it would be the last time I’d ever be on a horse.