Melbourne Cup jockey Nick Hall’s extraordinary collection of tattoos

NICK Hall is a walking billboard for extraordinary workmanship. We’re not just referring to his unshakable commitment on the track but also to his impressive collection of tattoos.

Jockey Nick Hall practising yoga at One Hot Yoga, South Yarra. Pic: Michael Klein

MELBOURNE Cup hopeful Nick Hall is a yoga-practising jockey who has recently started playing the guitar.

He calls them his “constructive distractions” aimed at helping him return to his 2013 Caulfield Cup-winning form.

But as he prepares to contest the 2016 Melbourne Cup, it’s the inkings under his silks that have caught people’s attention.

Safe to say Hall is a walking billboard for pain and extraordinary workmanship. With $8,000 worth of tattoos across his torso and back.

But his days in the tattoo chair of Richmond-based artist Matt Collins appear numbered.

Hall used to be able to sit for five-hour sessions; several of them.

Not any more.

“I barely stand two (hours) now,” Hall says.

“My tolerance has gone down, physically the body just doesn’t cope. I’ve fainted a few times, too.”

Hall’s spent more than 50 hours in the chair and spent about $8000 on the custom including Buddhist deities Mahakala (front) and Tara (back).

Passing the time in the chair is not easy, Hall says.

“It’s not really something you can read a book or listen to music ... it’s hard to concentrate to be honest.”

Away from the tattoo chair and the saddle, Hall uses yoga to clear his mind, sharpen his focus and unlock his spirituality.

He found yoga by accident, trying to impress a girl, but it grew to become an almost daily ritual.

“I’m definitely more in tune with that (spirituality) and that’s an ongoing thing, and something that grows all the time,” Hall said.

“Sometimes with outside distractions in the world you can lose touch with that spiritual stuff.”

Originally published as Melbourne Cup jockey Nick Hall’s extraordinary collection of tattoos