Andrasch Starke, the retirement of the greatest German jockey of all time

At 52, and after failing to obtain a license to ride in Japan, he decided to hang up his whip; he won the 2011 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Danedream

Andrasch Starke and his hour of glory, when he won the Arc with Danedream / PARISLONGCHAMP

European horse racing says goodbye to one of its most iconic riders. Andrasch Starke, the most successful jockey in German history and a respected figure at the world’s major racetracks, has decided to hang up his whip at age 52, ending a career of nearly four decades marked by loyalty to his style and astounding efficiency.

The news, which shook the continental racing scene, comes following the rider's frustration over not obtaining a short-term license to compete in Japan between March and May of this year. “My career is over. I am currently working mornings with Henk Grewe and spending a lot of time with my children on weekends—something I neglected for years,” Starke confessed with the serenity of someone who knows they have nothing left to prove.

Although his record is immense, the name Andrasch Starke will be eternally linked to Danedream (Lomitas). Alongside the extraordinary Peter Schiergen trainee, the German rider reached the top of the world in 2011 by winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp, crushing a filly of Shareta’s (Sinndar) caliber by 5 lengths and leaving behind champions such as Snow Fairy (Intikhab), So You Think (High Chaparral), and Workforce (King's Best). A year later, the duo confirmed their hierarchy at Ascot by claiming the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1).

Starke retires with staggering numbers that are unlikely to be surpassed in the short term: 2,853 total victories; 10 German champion jockey titles; 8 wins in the Deutsches Derby (G1), his country’s premier race; and 3 successes in the Grosser Preis von Baden (G1).

His last spark of glory at the highest level occurred just last year on Japanese soil, where he won the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1) aboard Kamunyak (Black Tide), proving that his technical relevance remained intact until his very last day.

Beyond his borders, Starke was a world-class jockey. He was twice the leading rider in the Hong Kong International Jockeys' Championship, shone in the Shergar Cup, and won black-type races for renowned British trainers like Sir Mark Prescott and Archie Watson.

Since that first victory in June 1989 until today, 37 years of exemplary professional conduct have passed. Germany loses its great reference on the track, but world horse racing celebrates the career of a man who, with his whip and his intelligence, carried the German flag to the highest step of the most demanding podiums on the planet.