Meet the trainees - Niamh Cassidy

My name is Niamh Cassidy and I am from Celbridge in County Kildare.  I am nineteen years of age and completed my leaving certificate last year.  For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with horses and horse racing; much of my childhood was spent looking at the pictures in the Racing Post and learning the names of all the famous horses!  My favourite horse when I was little was a grey called One Man.  

My interest in horse racing comes from my Dad; he’s always had a few horses in training and he taught me so much about handling horses and the horse racing industry.  When I was sixteen he finally agreed to let me ride out, but only the quiet horses that didn’t pull too hard!

When I was in sixth year I decided to apply for RACE because I wanted to get more experience riding different horses and become a better rider.  I was invited to go on a week’s trial in July, which was undoubtedly one of the toughest weeks of my life!  The trial was very competitive and I wasn’t confident of securing a place at all, so I was absolutely delighted when I received a letter in the post on the 11th of August confirming that I had been accepted on the course.

We are currently on week 21 of the course, which is scary. The time is flying by! There is only 42 weeks altogether, so we are just about half way there.  I am really enjoying my experience at RACE so far.  I have learnt an awful lot from the instructors in the barn, my riding has definitely improved and I hope to continue improving throughout the year.  As well as learning more about horses and riding, I think all of us have learnt more about ourselves.  We have to work hard, remain focused and dedicated, and it helps that we can motivate each other.

I have made so many new friends here since the start of the year and have great craic with the four girls in my dorm: Sadhbh, Hayley, Amy and Siobhán.  We’re probably all going to cry on our last night in the blue dorm!

After I graduate from RACE in June I hope to get a job riding out for the summer and at weekends when I start college in September.  I would love to get a Qualified Rider’s license in the future so that I could ride in point to points and bumpers, and hopefully ride a few winners on the racetrack!
I have gained invaluable skills and knowledge here at RACE this year and it is definitely an experience I will never forget!

Niamh (right) with fellow trainee Siobhan

Niamh Schooling at RACE

Meet the trainees - Sean Davis

My name is Sean Davis, im 16 and born and raised in Maynooth Co.Kildare. I had no background with horses until my cousin knew a man who was looking for someone to muck out in a small point-to-point yard in County Meath, where I started off mucking out, feeding and watering.

My boss, Sean, was a farmer so I got working on the farm with him and I learned a lot about animals and disease and understanding animals, which does help when working with horses. After about 6 months there I started to ride out. I rode 2 mares, a 16.3, 6 year old black mare by Whitmore’s Conn and a small dark bay 4 year old  mare, she kept me awake, she was mad as a brush!

I got along very well with my boss and his wife and their grandchildren who were only young and I would work there in the afternoons after school and stay there over the weekend.
After 2 years there Sean told me about RACE and how Jockey Gary Halpin, who started with him  went to RACE and was an apprentice to Kevin Prendergast and such talented jockeys  like Johnny Murtagh, who I really looked up to and Slim O’Neill and many more, were trainees at the Academy.

So I decided I wanted to go and my Mother and Father got me the application forms and I applied. I went to the open day and from then I knew I’d love it. When I got accepted for the week trial I was excited but nervous. The week trial was tough trying to prove your better than the 60 people who were also accepted.  I felt happy after the trial because I gave it my all and when I got accepted for the course I was over the moon. I taught the day would never come!

The craic does be good and everyone seems to get along, it would be tough living with 30 people that you didn’t get along with so we all try to get along.  So far RACE has gone really well for me and my riding has improved well. I have learned a lot about racing and the people involved with it.

I was sent out to Michael O’Callaghan’s yard and I am very happy there, It is a great experience. Hopefully by next year I will be signed on as an apprentice to a trainer.

I have met so many people and made some good friends. The staff here at RACE are very nice and it has been a great experience so far.

Sean on RACE Gallops - Parents Day 2014