Tiny rider facing fifth open heart surgery named honorary Grand National runner: ‘He lives life to the full’

Oliver Christie, who loves horses, has been named as the honorary 35th runner in the 2026 Grand National.

A pony-loving little boy who has undergone four open-heart surgeries is the honorary 35th runner in the 2026 Randox Grand National.

Five-year-old Oliver Christie, who adores horses and loves riding, was born with congenital heart disease. His main condition is hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which means that side of his heart is severely underdeveloped, and he is due to have open-heart surgery again next month.

Aintree racecourse owners The Jockey Club has named an honorary runner each year since 2017 to highlight the work of nearby Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

“Oliver has a life-limiting heart condition and without the medical interventions from Alder Hey, Oliver would not be with us today,” said Oliver’s mother, Amelia Christie, who works at Aintree.

“He has had four open-heart surgeries including ECMO [extracorporeal membrane oxygenation – external life support] and is due his next surgery next month. He also has cerebral palsy from a stroke at birth, global development delay and is tube-fed to the stomach by a blended diet.”

She added: “We are under a large team at Alder Hey and everyone is so extremely kind and caring. We have spent Christmas in Alder Hey, and his first and second birthday were also spent there. Prior to his first birthday, we had been in hospital for three months, so a group of nurses decided to dress up as the Teletubbies to cheer Oliver up and celebrate his first birthday.

“We are very fortunate that Oliver enjoys visiting the hospital, because the team at Alder Hey do not make it feel like a hospital. With help from the play specialist, music therapy and the doctor and nurses, they make the whole family feel at ease.

“As we navigate this next chapter and Oliver’s fifth open-heart surgery, I know he is in the best care with Alder Hey. Despite Oliver’s medical conditions, he lives life to the full, recently started mainstream school and loves making friends.”

Mrs Christie added that Oliver “has a love for horses” and that he rides regularly with their local branch of the Riding for the Disabled Association.

“He has been riding since February 2023, even with his oxygen, and this has improved his core strength,” she said.

“He can now trot and thinks he is a cowboy, so of course he is very much looking forward to Randox Grand National day!”

Oliver and his family like to give back to Alder Hey. Every Christmas for the past four years, the family has supported the Alder Hey Christmas present appeal, so children there receive a gift on Christmas Day – just as Oliver did in 2021 and 2022.

Mrs Christie said the The Jockey Club has “always been so supportive towards all of Oliver’s family” and for him to be named as the 35th runner “feels like the ultimate honour”.

Jockey Patrick Mullins, who won last year’s race on Nick Rockett, trained by his father Willie, added: “I think Aintree’s relationship with Alder Hey is one of the most important aspects of the race. A number of jockeys visit the children at the hospital the day before the Grand National and it is nothing short of inspirational – the staff there are incredible.

“Oliver was the star of the show at the Grand National weights lunch last week and I’m looking forward to seeing him at Aintree as the 35th runner in April.”

Dickon White, The Jockey Club’s northwest regional director who runs Aintree racecourse, said that the organisation is “incredibly proud” to support Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and champion the work it does, and to announced Oliver as this year’s 35th runner.

“We’re especially pleased to be able to mark our 25th anniversary of working with Alder Hey by recognising a member of our own team here at Aintree,” he said.

“Amelia is one of many staff members and relatives at the racecourse who have received tremendous support during the time of our partnership so this is an opportunity to celebrate the close link between our two organisations and show our gratitude.”