{{Short description|Japanese jockey (born 1986)}} {{Infobox horseracing personality |image=Yuichi_Kitamura_2025_Tokyo_Yushun.jpg |caption=Kitamura after winning the 2025 Tōkyō Yūshun |birth_date={{birth date and age|1986|10|03|mf=yes}}<ref name="netkeiba-profile" /> |birth_place=Shiga Prefecture, Japan<ref name="netkeiba-profile" /> |height=164cm<ref name="netkeiba-profile" /> |weight=51kg<ref name="netkeiba-profile" /> |horses=Al Ain, Chrono Genesis, Resistencia, Croix du Nord }}
'''Yuichi Kitamura''' ({{Langx|ja|北村友一}}; born October 3, 1986) is a Japanese jockey of the JRA.<ref name="netkeiba-profile">{{cite web |title=北村友一 (キタムラユウイチ) |url=https://db.netkeiba.com/jockey/01102/ |website=netkeiba.com |access-date=13 April 2026 |language=ja}}</ref>
== Career == After graduating the {{Interlanguage link|Horse Racing School|ja|競馬学校}} in 2006 he made his debut as a jockey that same year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-03-02 |title=新人騎手9名が今週デビュー |url=https://news.netkeiba.com/?pid=news_view&no=12363 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=netkeiba |language=ja}}</ref> During that year, he won 14 races, earning him the {{Interlanguage link|Chuo Keiba Kansai Hoso Kisha Club Award|ja|中央競馬関西放送記者クラブ賞}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-12-25 |title=北村友一騎手、関西放送記者クラブ賞を受賞 |url=https://news.netkeiba.com/?pid=news_view&no=17865 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=netkeiba |language=ja}}</ref>
On October 4, 2008, Kitamura won his 100th race, the 88th jockey to do so in JRA history. That same year, he won his first graded race when he won the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes with {{Interlanguage link|Schon Wald|ja|シェーンヴァルト (競走馬)}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-10-18 |title=デイリー杯2歳S、シェーンヴァルトがレコード勝ち |url=https://news.netkeiba.com/?pid=news_view&no=31618 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=netkeiba |language=ja}}</ref>
On August 19, 2012, Kitamura won his 300th JRA win at a maiden race at Kokura Racecourse with Oken Ichigeki.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-08-19 |title=北村友一騎手 ＪＲＡ通算３００勝達成 |url=https://www.radionikkei.jp/keiba_article/news/entry-221459.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=ラジオNIKKEI |language=ja}}</ref> Having achieved the milestone at Kokura, as well as winning the Kitakyushu Kinen during that meeting, he would be awarded the {{Interlanguage link|Kokura Turf Award|ja|小倉ターフ賞}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-08-27 |title=今年の「小倉ターフ賞」は北村友一騎手 |url=https://news.netkeiba.com/?pid=news_view&no=67343 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=netkeiba |language=ja}}</ref> He would later win the same award in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-09-03|url=http://race.sanspo.com/keiba/news/20180903/etc18090312550011-n1.html|title=「小倉ターフ賞」受賞した北村友騎手に授賞式|publisher=Sankei Sports|author=|accessdate=2026-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013144739/http://race.sanspo.com/keiba/news/20180903/etc18090312550011-n1.html|archive-date=2019-10-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On November 2, 2013, Kitamura was given a 9-day suspension (4 race days) lasting from November 9 to 17 after swerving in to and cutting off another horse in a race at Kyoto Racecourse. When he was given the suspension at the stewards' room, he responded by knocking down a desk, resulting him being given an additional 7-day suspension (2 race days) for disruptive behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-11-02 |title=北村友一騎手、騎乗停止へ |url=https://www.radionikkei.jp/keiba_article/news/post_1840.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=ラジオNIKKEI |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-11-03 |title=北村友 裁決室で大暴れ…処分に不満、机持ち上げて倒す |url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/gamble/news/2013/11/03/articles/K20131103006936040.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=スポニチ Sponichi Annex |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-11-02 |title=北村友一騎手、史上初の“粗暴行為”で騎乗停止日数追加…裁決室内で机倒す |url=https://www.daily.co.jp/general/flash/20131108464.shtml |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=デイリースポーツ online |language=ja}}</ref>
On February 12, 2017, Kitamura became the 34th JRA jockey to achieve his 500th JRA victory when he won an allowance race held at Kokura Racecourse with Press Attention.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-12 |title=北村友一騎手がＪＲＡ通算５００勝達成 |url=https://www.radionikkei.jp/keiba_article/news/post_10977.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=ラジオNIKKEI |language=ja}}</ref>
In 2018, Kitamura won his first JpnI race when he won the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun with {{Interlanguage link|Nova Lenda|ja|ノーヴァレンダ}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-20 |title=【川崎・全日本２歳優駿】ノーヴァ３連勝頂点！ |url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/gamble/news/2018/12/20/articles/20181219s00004049400000c.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=スポニチ Sponichi Annex |language=ja}}</ref> The following year, Kitamura won his first Grade I race when he won the Ōsaka Hai with Al Ain.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-31 |title=【大阪杯】皐月賞馬アルアインがＧＩ２勝目！北村友騎手はＧＩ初制覇 |url=https://www.sanspo.com/article/20190331-A7EL6HVBVVIGJMEJPRBOCW4QYQ/ |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=Sankei Sports |publisher=Sankei Shimbun |language=ja}}</ref> Kitamura would go on to win two more Grade I races that same year; the Shūka Sho with Chrono Genesis, and the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with Resistencia.
In 2020, Kitamura, together with Chrono Genesis, won both Grand Prix races in the same year; the Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-27 |title=【有馬記念】（中山）人気のクロノジェネシスが春秋グランプリ連覇を達成 |url=https://www.radionikkei.jp/keiba_article/news/post_22577.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=ラジオNIKKEI |language=ja}}</ref>
On May 2, 2021, while riding in a maiden race at Hanshin Racecourse, another horse swerved in to Kitamura on the back stretch, causing the horse to trip and for Kitamura to fall over. This resulted in multiple bone fractures, including at least 8 broken vertebrae and another broken scapula; forcing him to go in to rehabilitation for a year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-12 |title=北村友は復帰まで１年以上の見込み |url=https://www.daily.co.jp/horse/2021/05/12/0014320380.shtml |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=デイリースポーツ online |language=ja}}</ref>
Kitamura returned to horse racing on June 11, 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-11 |title=北村友一騎手１年１カ月ぶりに復帰「パドックでも応援してもらって感謝しかない」／中京4R |url=https://www.nikkansports.com/keiba/news/202206110000285.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=nikkansports.com |language=ja}}</ref> and won his first race since his fall when he won the Hananomichi Stakes with Over Nexus.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-26 |title=【花のみちS】北村友一騎手、ケガから復帰後初勝利「ホッとしました」 |url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/gamble/news/2022/06/26/articles/20220626s00004048530000c.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=スポニチ Sponichi Annex |language=ja}}</ref>
In 2024, Kitamura won his first Grade I race in four years when he won the Hopeful Stakes with Croix du Nord, who shares the same owner ({{Interlanguage link|Sunday Racing|ja|サンデーレーシング}}) and trainer ({{Interlanguage link|Takashi Saito (racehorse trainer)|lt=Takashi Saito|ja|斉藤崇史}}) with Chrono Genesis.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-28 |title=Yuichi Kitamura makes dream comeback from long injury rehab with victory in G1 Hopeful Stakes |url=https://en.netkeiba.com/news/news_detail.html?id=1825 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=netkeiba |language=en}}</ref> Both Kitamura and Croix du Nord would later go on to win the next year's Tōkyō Yūshun<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-01 |title=Croix du Nord and Yuichi Kitamura deliver in style to win 92nd G1 Japanese Derby |url=https://en.netkeiba.com/news/news_detail.html?id=2357 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=netkeiba |language=en}}</ref>, as well as the Prix du Prince d'Orange; which would be Kitamura's first graded race abroad.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=【プランスドランジュ賞】クロワデュノールが海外初戦を勝利 北村友一騎手「しっかりと勝ち切ってくれた。そこはさすが」 |url=https://umatoku.hochi.co.jp/articles/20250914-OHT1T51422.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=UMATOKU |publisher=Hochi Shimbun |language=ja-JP}}</ref>
On February 21, 2026, Kitamura won his 1000th JRA race win when he won an allowance race while riding Zakkuzaku in the Hanshin Racecourse, becoming the 44th jockey in JRA history to do so.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-21 |title=北村友一騎手が阪神７ＲのザックザクでＪＲＡ通算１０００勝達成「もっと馬と向き合って、もっと結果を出せるよう」 |url=https://umatoku.hochi.co.jp/articles/20260221-OHT1T51152.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=UMATOKU |publisher=Hochi Shimbun |language=ja-JP}}</ref>
== Major wins == thumb|Kitamura and Resistencia at the 2019 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies
* Arima Kinen – (1) – ''Chrono Genesis (2020)'' * Hanshin Juvenile Fillies – (1) – ''Resistencia (2019)'' * Hopeful Stakes – (1) – ''Croix du Nord (2024)'' * Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Ladies' Classic – (1) – ''Fashionista (2020)'' * Ōsaka Hai – (2) – ''Al Ain (2019), Croix du Nord (2026)'' * Shūka Sho – (1) – ''Chrono Genesis (2019)'' * Takarazuka Kinen – (1) – ''Chrono Genesis (2020)'' * Tennō Shō (Spring) – (1) – ''Croix du Nord (2026)'' * Tōkyō Yūshun – (1) – ''Croix du Nord (2025)''
== Personal life == In January 2021, Kitamura married a 29-year-old woman from Shimane Prefecture.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-01 |title=北村友が結婚！２日に入籍、一般女性と 公私ともに「飛躍の一年にしたい」 |url=https://www.daily.co.jp/horse/2021/01/01/0013977570.shtml |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=デイリースポーツ online |language=ja}}</ref> The two gave birth to a daughter in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|title=北村友一連載【５２】「落馬前の自分に戻ること」は目標じゃありません|url=https://tospo-keiba.jp/kitamurayuichi/19581|website=東スポ競馬|date=2022-09-12|access-date=2026-04-13|language=ja|quote=「友一が復帰して、すぐ娘が生まれました。その翌週には復帰後の初勝利。もううれしくて。産後も実家にいたので、日曜日の夕方に電話で“おめでとう”を伝えました。でも、彼はそれほど喜んでいなかったんです」}}</ref>
== Trivia == In the years since his 2013 suspension, horse racing fans have unofficially nicknamed Kitamura "desk ({{Langx|ja|机}})" after the incident, as well as the fact that there is already a "Yuichi" and "{{Interlanguage link|Hiroshi Kitamura|lt=Kitamura|ja|北村宏司}}" in the same field. The nickname has been acknowledged by Kitamura in an interview with him and fellow jockey {{Interlanguage link|Yusuke Fujioka|ja|藤岡佑介}} on ''netkeiba.com'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fuwa |first=Yukiko |date=2017-03-08 |title=【北村友一×藤岡佑介】第1回『500勝の裏には6000回の負けがあって…』 |url=https://news.netkeiba.com/?pid=column_view&cid=36564 |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=netkeiba |language=ja}}</ref> and later in an appearance in {{Interlanguage link|Junk SPORTS|lt=''Junk SPORTS''|ja|ジャンクSPORTS}}, a sports-themed talk show on Fuji Television.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-08 |title=北村友一騎手 なぜあだ名が「机」？ 自ら由来を説明「4日間の騎乗停止処分に納得いかなくて…」 |url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2025/11/08/articles/20251108s00041000199000c.html |access-date=2026-04-13 |website=スポニチ Sponichi Annex |language=ja}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitamura, Yuichi}} Category:Japanese jockeys Category:1986 births Category:Sportspeople from Shiga Prefecture Category:Living people Category:21st-century Japanese sportsmen