Hugely popular "Two-way Jockey", Kumazawa announces retirement.
Tuesday, 31 October, 2023 18:30
Shigefumi Kumazawa
On October 30th, the JRA announced that Shigefumi Kumazawa has declared his intention to retire. He will hand in his license on November 11th.He made his racecourse debut in 1986, one year senior to Yutaka Take.
In his third year on the JRA circuit, in 1988, he won the Oaks on Cosmo Dream, breaking the record for the youngest G1 winner in history at that time. His shock win in the 1991 Arima Kinen with Dai Yusaku escalated his profile and fame in Japanese racing. He continued to be one of the top jockeys in Japan.
It cannot be forgotten to mention Kumazawa's several accomplishments in steeplechase racing. He won the JRA award for the Leading Steeplechase Rider in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2004. Since very early in his career, he always stated that he wanted to win the Nakayama Daishogai (Nakayama racecourse steeplechase), but he had never been able to do so. In 2012, his seventh attempt, he won the race for the first time with Marvelous Kaiser. He will end his career with 257 victories over jumps.
We would like to give a big round of applause to the achievements of the one and only, two-way or dual-purpose, legend.
In his third year on the JRA circuit, in 1988, he won the Oaks on Cosmo Dream, breaking the record for the youngest G1 winner in history at that time. His shock win in the 1991 Arima Kinen with Dai Yusaku escalated his profile and fame in Japanese racing. He continued to be one of the top jockeys in Japan.
It cannot be forgotten to mention Kumazawa's several accomplishments in steeplechase racing. He won the JRA award for the Leading Steeplechase Rider in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2004. Since very early in his career, he always stated that he wanted to win the Nakayama Daishogai (Nakayama racecourse steeplechase), but he had never been able to do so. In 2012, his seventh attempt, he won the race for the first time with Marvelous Kaiser. He will end his career with 257 victories over jumps.
We would like to give a big round of applause to the achievements of the one and only, two-way or dual-purpose, legend.