McCarron to retire from North American Racing Academy

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Chris McCarron, the Hall of Fame jockey, will retire from his full-time teaching position at the North American Racing Academy at the close of the fall semester, the college that administers the academy announced Friday.

McCarron, 59, who has been the head riding instructor at the Lexington academy since its founding in 2006, will continue to provide instruction on a part-time basis, according to the Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

“Now that I’m almost 60, the time has come for me to pass the baton at NARA and move on to another chapter in my life,” McCarron said. “I’ll miss the students. So many have taken their studies very seriously and have gone on to apply what they learned at NARA to become successful race riders, grooms, trainers, and just solid horsemen and horsewomen overall, which is what racing needs.”

The North American Racing Academy was initially designed to be a riding program preparing jockeys for a professional career. Over the past two years, the program has expanded to incorporate other aspects of horsemanship.