Carl Llewellyn’s Double Act: Two Grand National Wins, One Steady Hand

Pull up a chair, friend, and let’s talk about Carl Llewellyn, a name that rings out in the world of jump racing like the clatter of hooves over Becher’s Brook.

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to win not one, but two Grand Nationals, or how a farmer’s son from Pembrokeshire ended up among the sport’s elite, you’re in the right place.

This is the story of a man whose career is stitched together with grit, luck, and more than a few bumps and bruises.

From Welsh Fields to Racing’s Big Leagues

Carl Harries Llewellyn was born on July 29, 1965, at Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, the son of a farmer.

His early years were spent much like you’d expect for a country lad, riding his pony across the family farm, dreaming of bigger fences and faster gallops.

He didn’t just dream, though. He put in the hours, riding in point-to-points and working for a fiver a week as a stable amateur under Stan Mellor.

That’s less than the price of a pint at Aintree these days, but the experience was priceless.

A tip from fellow Welsh jockey Hywel Davies sent Carl to Jim Old’s yard, where he learned the ropes and, no doubt, picked up a few tricks of the trade.

Four years later, he moved to Tim Forster’s operation and, in the 1987-88 season, bagged the conditional jockeys’ title with 41 winners.

Early Career and First Big Wins

Carl’s first National Hunt winner came in 1986, and by 1988 he’d already tasted Cheltenham Festival glory, steering Smart Tar to victory in the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup.

His first Grand National ride was, frankly, a bit of a disaster, Kumbi, trained by the legendary Ginger McCain, somersaulted out of the race, but Carl took it in stride, calling it “a brilliant first ride” (now that’s optimism).

He wasn’t immune to the perils of the sport, either. After a nasty fall in 1990 that left him with a smashed ankle, doctors told him he’d never race again.

Carl, being Carl, ignored that advice. He came back, only to break his elbow on his second ride back.

1992 Grand National: Party Politics and Perfect Timing

Fast forward to April 1992. The country is buzzing with election fever, and at Aintree, a horse named Party Politics is about to make headlines for more than just his name.

Carl Llewellyn, just 26, is in the saddle, having stepped in for an injured jockey. The horse is the tallest ever to run in the National at nearly 18 hands, and was only bought by owners David and Patricia Thompson two days before the race.

Party Politics wasn’t exactly the bookies’ darling. He’d finished second in the Welsh National but hadn’t done much since.

Still, thanks to his timely name and a bit of public sentiment, he went off at 14/1.

Carl rode a tactically perfect race, keeping Party Politics in the front half of the field, biding his time.

As the field thinned, he made his move at the final open ditch, taking the lead and holding off Romany King to win by two and a half lengths.

It was Carl’s first Grand National win, and it couldn’t have come at a more fitting moment. The newspapers loved it – Party Politics winning just days before the General Election.

Carl, meanwhile, was just happy to have steered the big horse home in one piece.

1998 Grand National: Earth Summit and a Muddy Masterclass

Six years later in 1998, and the Grand National that year was a mud bath with soft, heavy going, the kind that sorts out the brave from the merely hopeful.

Earth Summit, trained by Twiston-Davies, was the 7-1 favourite, and Carl was back at Aintree, looking for a second slice of glory.

The race itself was a slog, but Carl’s experience shone through. He kept Earth Summit out of trouble, timed his challenge perfectly, and powered clear of Suny Bay before the second last.

The pair stormed up the run-in to win by a whopping eleven lengths. Earth Summit became the only horse in history to win the Grand National, Scottish Grand National, and Welsh Grand National, a feat that’s still unmatched.

For Carl, it was proof that his first win wasn’t just luck. He’d joined the exclusive club of jockeys with multiple Grand National victories.

As Well as the Nationals

Carl wasn’t a two-hit wonder. He became the go-to jockey for Nigel Twiston-Davies, riding for him for nearly two decades.

The partnership brought plenty of big-race wins: the Mackeson Gold Cup, the Aintree Hurdle, the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, and the Whitbread Gold Cup (now the Bet365 Gold Cup), which he won by the biggest margin in the race’s history on Beau in 2000.

He also won the Scottish Grand National and the Welsh Grand National, twice, in fact, the latter on Bindaree in 2003.

If there was a big staying chase on the calendar, chances are Carl had a crack at it.

Later Career: From Saddle to Stable

As the years ticked by, Carl kept riding, and winning. His best season was 1997/98, with 82 winners. But as the bruises mounted, he started eyeing a new challenge: training.

In 2005, he became assistant trainer and jockey to Mark Pitman at Weathercock House, Lambourn, eventually taking over as head trainer in 2006.

He even pulled off the rare feat of training and riding the Scottish Grand National winner, Run For Paddy, in 2006.

Later, he rejoined Twiston-Davies as a business partner, proving that you can take the boy out of the saddle, but you can’t take the racing out of the boy.

Life Beyond the Track

Carl’s roots run deep in Pembrokeshire. His father, Eryl, was a farmer, and Carl’s early love for horses was forged on those Welsh fields.

His nickname in the weighing room was “Carlos”, a touch of continental flair for a man more at home in wellies than espadrilles.

He’s been a director of his own business and leisure company since 2000 and served on the board of the Professional Jockeys’ Association for nearly two decades.

He’s had his share of controversy, too, including a regrettable incident in 2014 that landed him a hefty fine and a lesson in the importance of words.

Carl owned up, apologised, and moved on, just as he always has.

More Than Just Luck

Ask Carl about his career, and he’ll probably tell you it was all about luck. But that’s classic Llewellyn modesty.

Sure, you need a bit of luck to win the Grand National twice, but you also need nerves of steel, a sharp mind, and the kind of determination that gets you back in the saddle after doctors say you’re finished.

His story is a reminder that racing is about more than just the horses. It’s about the people who ride them, the families who support them, and the communities that cheer them on.

Carl Llewellyn’s journey, from a Pembrokeshire farm to the winner’s enclosure at Aintree, is proof that with enough grit (and maybe a dash of luck), you really can go the distance.

So, next time you watch the Grand National and see a jockey guiding a horse over those daunting fences, spare a thought for Carl Llewellyn, the Welsh wizard who twice conquered Aintree and never forgot where he came from.