Career Profile John Carroll was born on April 15, 1964 and married in November 1989 to Tracy. For the British flat season he is based in Lancashire, and is a successful freelance rider. Carroll developed a love for horses at an early age and began riding as an apprentice in 1981 at the age of 17. His first winner came that year when Helvic won at Pontefract in August. Carroll is a regular in the UAE during the Winter riding for the powerful Godolphin team and has won many of the major events in the Emirates. His thoroughbred feature wins include the National Day Cup (Hazaam [1994]), HH The President Cup (Kassbaan [1997] and Maidaan [2000]), Al Maktoum Challenge Rd I (Halling [1995], Tamayaz [1996] and China Visit [2001]), Al Rashidiya (Sabadilla [2000]), Al Maktoum Challenge Rd II (Halling [1995], Al Maktoum Challenge Rd III (Dover Straits [1995]), UAE 1000 Guineas (Infinite Spirit [2002]) and the Nad Al Sheba Sprint (Kassbaan [1996]). His major wins in England have been the Group II Temple Stakes with Mind Games and Paris House while Carroll achieved his biggest success of his career in England in 2002 when he rode Invincible Spirit to win the Group I Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup.