He mentioned his success as a jockey was right down to secretly loving the “torture” that got here with pushing himself.
“I hate to say it, however the torture fed me. The torture stored me going,” he advised the Sunday Unbiased.
A decade after retiring from the game, the 50-year-old mentioned he nonetheless struggled to know the place his obsession to win got here from.
“I believe it simply grows in you. I at all times had this factor in life about trying on the people who find themselves higher than everybody else at what they do,” he mentioned.
“Once I wished to be a jockey — Richard Dunwoody was a champion — and I used to have a look at him and assume, ‘Why is he higher than everybody else? What does he try this units him aside?’ and check out to do this.
“However to be any good at something in life you must take pleasure in it. Even if you’re a businessman — and you might be value all the cash on the earth — you must like it.”
I wouldn’t say I used to be by no means comfortable, however I used to be by no means content material for 20 years. I at all times wished extra
McCoy mentioned attending to the highest in any subject took an extraordinary diploma of selfishness that most individuals weren’t in a position — or prepared — to take care of long run.
“It’s a must to be a egocentric p***okay as a result of nothing else and nobody else might be vital [when you’re winning]; nobody else can get in your method…
“A lot of folks can do it for someday or two days. However to do it repetitively and daily it takes an obsession, it takes a selfishness as a result of nothing can stand in your method.”
McCoy was talking as he ready to participate within the movie star pro-am golf match at this 12 months’s Amgen Irish Open, which begins at Royal County Down Golf Membership on Wednesday.
Regardless of the golden moments, he mentioned there was a darkish facet to profitable too.
“Essentially the most profitable folks on the earth in all probability have extra darkish days than anybody as a result of one thing tortures them inside that doesn’t make them wish to be like each different particular person. They’re by no means comfortable. I wouldn’t say I used to be by no means comfortable, however I used to be by no means content material for 20 years. I by no means had sufficient. I at all times wished extra,” he mentioned.
McCoy was champion jockey in a profession that spanned 23 years and achieved many greats wins within the races such because the Grand Nationwide and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
He additionally spoke about his friendship with billionaire Limerick businessman JP McManus, whom he described as “essentially the most aggressive man on the planet”.
“You study one thing from him daily. I’m very fortunate that we’re the most effective of associates,” McCoy mentioned.
“He isn’t within the place he’s in accidentally. His thoughts is simply totally different to most individuals’s. It really works otherwise. It’s sharper, he almost is aware of the questions you will ask him earlier than you ask them.”
Requested if the businessman possessed a winner’s mindset, McCoy mentioned: “Essentially the most. Greater than anybody. Essentially the most aggressive human being on the planet. I play golf with him and he beats you — if it’s for a pound then he desires the pound as quickly as he has received it off you.
“He’s very, very reasonable, very variety and really unassuming.”