Meet the trainees - Katie Lawless

My name is Katie Lawless, from Clonaslee, Co. Laois and I am 19 years of age. 

I’d gotten the interest in horses from my Mum who used to loan a horse when I was younger and I got free rides on the riding school pony and was then taught how to ride. After moving from various riding schools and slowly learning more and more about how to ride, our family moved to Ireland and I got my first pony! He was a 12.2hh dun pony and at the age of 29, all he ever wanted to do was gallop and buck! Luckily for me, this taught me how to cling on because he was so cheeky! Even when I went to my very first show with him, before I even got to the show ring, he had a mad bucking fit and dumped me on my head! Needless to say I didn’t do my class in the end!

From then on, I got more and more horses and learnt to break and produce them myself and then sell them on.

The only time I’d ever really been in contact with racehorses is when I went on work experience in Transition Year, to Anngrove Stud in Mountmellick, Co. Laois and at that it was handling the stallions -  Robin Des Pres, Pilsudski and Rudimentary. Other than this I have never ridden a racehorse, or been to a trainer’s yard etc. 

I got the idea of coming to RACE when I was riding my own thoroughbred mare and doing fitness work for the upcoming eventing season, I loved the adrenaline and the speed!

When I had first read the letter that I had gotten into RACE, I was thrilled but nervous! I thought that I’d be the only one who didn't know anything about the Racing Industry and in actual fact – I wasn't! Everyone is different here and we have all come from different backgrounds in the horsey industry and some of us haven’t had much experience with horses at all! Its great because this means that everyone gets a chance! 

The first group of trainees were sent out in the end of November, and luckily enough I was one of them! I was sent out to Dermot Weld’s bottom yard (Rathbride) and so far I’m loving it! It is tough but that’s the industry for you, its there to test you to see if you’re strong enough to make it! 

We start work at 7:30am, go in to the tack room to see what we’re riding for the day, grab our tack and mucking out utensils and put it outside the door of our first lot, then go and get the straw & hay and put that outside the doors of our horses that we’re riding that day. 

Then we go into the stable, groom the horse, tack up and then muck out. The head lad then calls us and we all pull out and head into the barn and get legged up and ready to go! We have a quick trot around and check they’re all okay and plus to warm them up, then we head out to the gallops! So far with the yearlings/just turned 2yos, they get two laps of the gallops and then a long walk to cool them back down. 

The course is tough but if you push yourself, the it really is all worth it! I had no idea what to expect and now I'm currently loving the Racing Industry.

Katie Schooling at RACE