Hornby grew up on a farm in Chelmarsh, Shropshire, and attended Bridgnorth Endowed School, leaving at the age of sixteen to become an apprentice at the Kingsclere yard of Andrew Balding.
[2] His first Group 1 win was on Scope, trained by Ralph Beckett, in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp in Paris on 24 October 2021.
It was Hornby's first ride in France, and came after he had missed part of the season with a shoulder injury sustained during a fall at Wolverhampton in December 2020.
[5] He continued his winning streak on the July Course at Newmarket when landing the Grey Horse Handicap on Strike a month later.
[6] On 2 June, Hornby was given a seven-day suspension for failing to weigh in after riding Surrey Belle into third place in a handicap at Nottingham.