Tom O'Brien, a jockey who rode more than 1,000 winners over jumps, has died at the age of 39, according to reports from BBC News and The Guardian. The Guardian said he had been diagnosed with cancer before his death.
BBC News reported that O'Brien was the nephew of the trainer Aidan. It said he rode more than 1,000 winners and won the Welsh Grand National twice. The summary of that report does not give further detail about his death.
The Guardian, in a report by Greg Wood, said O'Brien rode more than 1,000 winners over jumps, including five Grade One races and two at the Cheltenham festival. It said he retired from race riding in April 2023 and had a close association with the stable of the trainer Philip Hobbs.
The Guardian report included the line "Tom meant so much to so many people across our sport." The summary of the report does not name the speaker.
The two accounts agree on his age, his total of more than 1,000 winners and his cancer diagnosis. The BBC summary does not mention his Cheltenham wins or his retirement from riding, which The Guardian reported. Neither summary gives a place of death.
Sources: BBC News: Welsh Grand National-winning jockey O'Brien dies aged 39; The Guardian: Jockey Tom O’Brien, Cheltenham festival winner, dies aged 39.