WILLIAM BUICK SET TO BE A REAL THREAT IN THE LONGINES INTERNATIONAL JOCKEYS' CHAMPIONSHIP

By Darren Winningham | Monday, December 1, 2025

William Buick: A Rising Threat in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship.

One of the most respected jockeys in world racing, William Buick arrives in Hong Kong for the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Challenge with momentum, experience — and the quiet determination of a rider who knows he has unfinished business at Happy Valley.

Born in Oslo, Norway, Buick was raised in a racing household. His father, Martin Buick, was an eight-time Scandinavian Champion Jockey, and from an early age William showed the balance, temperament, and racing intelligence that would soon take him to the international stage.

His breakthrough moment came in 2008, when he tied for the British Flat Racing Champion Apprentice title. Two years later he secured a major career step, becoming the stable jockey for legendary trainer John Gosden, a partnership that lasted until 2014.

In 2015, Buick joined Godolphin — and remains their first-choice rider to this day, trusted with elite-level assignments across the world.

Since then, Buick has built an extraordinary global record, with well over 100 Group 1 victories spanning England, France, Ireland, Germany, the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, and the UAE. Few riders travel more, understand international form better, or adapt faster than the Norwegian-born star.

Buick knows how to strike when it counts at Sha Tin — and he has done so at Group 1 level: 2018 QEII Cup – Pakistan Star: 2024 Champions & Chater Cup – Rebel’s Romance

The next challenge, however, is a very different test:
Happy Valley’s tight, turning circuit — intense, tactical, unforgiving.

Buick’s record in the LONGINES IJC shows consistency without reward:

He finished eighth in 2009 … ninth in 2012 … fifth in 2020 and sixth in 2024.

He has yet to claim the IJC crown — but 2025 may be his most compelling bid yet. His current form is sharp, his confidence high, and his international record speaks for itself. Buick is tactically astute, composed under pressure, and lethal when given the right horse in a tight finish.

That makes him very dangerous.

Like everyone else though, Buick’s chances will depend on: Horse allocation … Barrier draw … Track position … Split-second decision-making around the final bend
If those elements fall his way, William Buick could be one of the surprise packages of this year’s LONGINES International Jockeys’ Challenge.

He comes with depth, discipline — and the feeling that his time might finally be near.

A serious contender has arrived.

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