88-year-old Eddie Harty dies, Harty Racing announces, wife Patricia died week earlier

Eddie Harty, the Grand National-winning jockey who also represented Ireland at the 1960 Olympics, has died aged 88, Harty Racing announced on social media. The stable’s statement read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Eddie Snr. He had an enormous personality who accomplished so much in life not least shaping some great people. May he rest in peace." His wife Patricia (Pat) Harty died only a week earlier on February 4, with Eddie passing on February 11, leaving a closely knit family and a Curragh-based racing operation now in the hands of the next generation.

Harty’s place in the sport spanned both international showjumping and National Hunt folklore. He rode the 1969 Grand National winner Highland Wedding, stepping in after Owen McNally was ruled out and partnering the 12-year-old gelding for trainer Toby Balding. Harty also represented Ireland at the Rome Olympics in 1960 in the three-day event, finishing ninth individually and sixth in the team competition. Over his riding career he recorded 268 winners in Britain before a fall at Cheltenham in December 1971 forced him off the saddle.

His transition to training established a lasting Curragh legacy. Based at Strawhall House, Harty enjoyed flat and jumps success, saddling Haraka to victory in the 1976 St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury and Balgaddy to the 1977 Greenland Stakes at the Curragh, with Balgaddy later taking the Huzzar Hurdle at Fairyhouse. Persian Royale won the Irish Cambridgeshire in 1983, Pylon Sparks took the Leopardstown November Handicap in 1988, and Jonjas Chudleigh secured the Irish Cambridgeshire and the Old Vic Handicap in 1990. Harty retired from training in 1995. His final runner and winner was This Is My Life, which scored in a maiden hurdle at Roscommon in September with a young Tony McCoy aboard.

Family continuity softens the practical blow to the business side of the sport. Son Edward (Eddie Jr) and grandson Patrick hold a joint-training licence at the Curragh and will steward the yards and horses, while son Eoin has forged a successful training career in the United States. The death notice listed survivors by name: Edward, Eoin and Freda; daughters-in-law Marie and Kathy; son-in-law Paul; grandchildren Nick, Gerard, Patrick, Carolyn and Eddie; great-granddaughter Anabelle; sister Ann; and devoted family friend Teresa.

Tributes underlined Harty’s quiet influence. Eddie Jr reflected on his father’s priorities: "The one thing Dad always wanted to be remembered for doing things for the industry, and I think he can rest in peace knowing he did that." Family members stressed the closeness of Eddie and Pat: "It's uncanny that he died so quickly after Mum. They were inseparable... His heart was broken." The Curragh racing community also expressed condolences; Brian Kavanagh of Curragh Racecourse and Training Grounds said: "Everybody at the Curragh was saddened to learn of the passing of Eddie and Patricia." Local clubs and social media offered further messages of respect.

Culturally, Harty’s career bridged generations and disciplines, giving the Curragh stable a brand built on international achievement and domestic stewardship. Economically, the handover to Eddie Jr and Patrick preserves a training licence and client relationships that underpin local employment and bloodstock flows. For racegoers and industry professionals, the loss is a reminder that the sport’s living memory is concentrated in family dynasties whose stewardship shapes both tradition and business continuity. The Harty name will remain in the paddocks and entries, and the coming months will show how Eddie Jr and Patrick balance legacy, commercial demands and the emotional aftermath of two high-profile family bereavements.