Ballabriggs: key obituary facts
Is Ballabriggs dead? Yes. Ballabriggs died on November 9, 2026, at age 25.
Cause of death: Ballabriggs's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Ballabriggs known for?
Ballabriggs was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse.
More about Ballabriggs
Born: 20 April 2001.
Ballabriggs, an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and 2011 Grand National winner, died on November 9, 2026, aged 25.
Born on April 20, 2001, he was trained by Donald McCain Jr. in Cholmondeley, Cheshire, and owned by Trevor Hemmings.
His racecourse debut came at Uttoxeter on May 14, 2006, in a two-mile National Hunt flat race. Ridden by Stephen Craine, he finished fifth among 15 runners, beaten 23 lengths, at odds of 13/2. For the next two seasons he raced over hurdles without success, then switched to chasing in December 2007. At Catterick on January 18, 2008, he was partnered for the first time by Jason Maguire. In 2010, Ballabriggs won five races in succession, marking his emergence as a successful chaser. The sequence included victory in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, where he started at 9/1. He went on to win the Grand National in 2011, six years after his first racecourse appearance. His career traced a progression through National Hunt flat racing, hurdles and fences, with the Grand National victory following his successful run over fences.