Successful jump jockeys come from a variety of backgrounds. Their childhoods and upbringings show vast differences. Some originate from families already connected to horses and...

Successful jump jockeys come from a variety of backgrounds. Their childhoods and upbringings show vast differences. Some originate from families already connected to horses and racing - they were always going to be riders. Yet others come from parents with no equine connections whatsoever, which presents the question: why did these kids become jockeys and how?

In her latest book on racing, Henrietta Knight - the three-time Gold Cup-winning trainer of the legendary Best Mate - speaks to more than 70 jump jockeys about what inspired them as children to take up one of the most dangerous jobs in sport. Among the great and the good interviewed are household names like Sir Anthony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Richard Dunwoody and John Francome, and throughout Starting From Scratch we find out how many of racing's most celebrated individuals opted to choose the path they did.