Ryan Mania was born in Galashiels, Scotland. He began working with point-to-point horses aged 12, and rode for Peter Monteith and subsequently for Howard Johnson, before leaving racing to work on his local hunt. The following year, he started feeling he was missing out after seeing horses running which he had ridden previously and, encouraged by his agent, he returned to ride for Sue Smith. 

Mania had his first ride in the Grand National in 2013, riding outsider Auroras Encore for Smith. At odds of 66/1, he was the unexpected winner, winning by nine lengths and as a 23-year-old, he was one of the youngest jockeys to ever win the Grand National and was also the first Scottish jockey to win the race for 117 years. 

In 2014, Mania made the decision to retire from jumps racing due to struggling with weight and returned to work on hunts in Scotland. He also spent a period as assistant trainer to Sandy Thomson on the Scottish Borders. Just under five years later, Mania made his comeback as a National Hunt jockey due to advancements in sports nutrition within racing which allowed him to manage his weight more effectively.