Incredibly well deserved.
Without a hint of hyperbole, AP McCoy is as important a character to horse racing as Maradona is to football or Muhammad Ali to boxing. The stats don’t lie. He’s won more than 4,300 races, is a 20 time champion, picked himself up from almost 1,000 falls and recovered from 40 broken bones.
In an incredible career, he has won the Grand National, two Cheltenham Gold Cups, three Champion Hurdles and the Champion Chase before retiring in April this year. While there’s countless other brilliant winners this evening at the Sports Personality of the Year awards, very few have done or won as much as AP McCoy has in horse racing.
There’s wasn’t a single person sitting down when he took to the podium to collect a well earned lifetime achievement award. Take a look.
Massive ROAR as AP McCoy is given the Lifetime Achievement Award at #SPOTY. pic.twitter.com/h8GPmPeMND
— Paulo Ross (@paulorossradio) December 20, 2015
Unbelievable reaction for the legendary @AP_McCoy receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award at @BBCSPOTY in #Belfast pic.twitter.com/bH156J3Mlh
— Codetta Derry (@CodettaDerry) December 20, 2015
Naturally, there have been countless tributes paid to McCoy on this special evening for him and his family.
.@AP_McCoy: "To any young people watching… All I can say is make the sacrifices…because it's worth it" #SPOTY pic.twitter.com/66ppAtgFIB
— BBCSPOTY (@BBCSPOTY) December 20, 2015
Wow…. Probably never a more deserving winner of the lifetime achievement award!! Congratulations @apmccoy #SPOTY pic.twitter.com/ozKjfyekCi
— Conor O Farrell (@CoFarrell20) December 20, 2015
Jockey AP McCoy won more than 4,300 races – pretty much the equivalent of one win every day for 12 years #SPOTY pic.twitter.com/jkxoqd0JED
— Francis Keogh (@HonestFrank) December 20, 2015
https://twitter.com/fizzer18/status/678669014390980611
