Meet the trainees - Siobhan Rutledge

My name is Siobhan Rutledge, I am 16 years old and I live just outside Ashbourne in County Meath. I’ve always had an interest in horses as my Dad was a jockey and trained a few point to point horses and my grandmother has bred horses in the past.

When I was 4 years of age, my brother and I were blessed with the gift of a little black welsh pony, he stood about 11 hands high, but was far too big for his boots. We called him harry after the man we bought him from. We had a little donkey called taxi who I’d ride up the field in the evenings after school. My brother eventually lost interest in riding horses, but I was hooked.

I took a few riding lessons at the age of 10 which helped me get the basics of horse riding, but gave up the lessons soon after because the horses were not fast enough! After saving up I bought Sweeney Todd, a 6 year old Connemara pony off a family friend, who I still have today. She is 13.2 hands high and is the best thing since sliced bread as far as I’m concerned.  I still had a great interest in racing, and did a few local pony races with Sweeney Todd that didn’t amount to much more than a fun day out for the family.

 Just before my 16th birthday, I decided I’d apply for RACE. Never in a million years did I think I’d be accepted, but I headed down for the trial in July hoping for the best. They had us doing all sorts on the trial; I don’t think I’ve pulled as much weeds in my life! I loved my week down in RACE and knew then that it was the place to be.
The acceptance letter came late, on the 11th of August, 3 days before my 16th birthday having just completed my Junior Cert in Ashbourne Community School. I was so nervous, but I knew I couldn’t have tried any harder on the trial. I was delighted to find out I got in and since then I’ve spent the last 5 months in the good hands of our four instructors Barry Walsh, Niall Byrne, Paul Keating and Paul Geoghegan who have been teaching me the tricks of the trade.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet 31 amazing people who I’ll stay in touch with forever. We’ve all grown so close over the last few months and I know I’ll be devastated at the end of the course. All of the teachers are absolutely lovely as are our supervisors who have kept an eye on us. I’m looking forward to being sent out to a yard, and hopefully graduating in June.

On RACE Gallops in September

Schooling at RACE

Meet the trainees - Ryan Bates

My name is Ryan Bates and I celebrated my 18th birthday last August. I’m from Wexford which would be known as a good place for yards and horses. Before coming to RACE I rode out in a few yards around my home town. Jamie cod only lives a few minutes away from my house and so does Benny Walsh.
I started out horse riding when I was 7 and ever since that day I wanted to be a jockey. My friend put me up on his pony called Polly, a Connemara, I jumped a few ditches and I said that I was going to become a jump jockey because there is  more of a ‘buzz’ in jump racing rather than flat racing.
As I got older I was riding in point to point yards where I got loads of experience and built up a lot of muscle and style. I schooled a lot of horses and I schooled in a really good place called The Railway Gallops in Wexford.
When I was in school I went to a career guidance meeting in my local school one night and I went to talk to Jamie Cod as I wanted to become a jockey and he told me what the best thing to do was and where I should go and he mentioned the RACE Academy in Kildare. I looked up RACE and I read through the information about it and I was really interested in going there. I sat down with Jamie and I said I was going to be a jump jockey as he is one and he told me that it’s a really hard life but when you are good you will do really well and in my head I was thinking that I should go to RACE. I got really good advice from Jamie which really helped me.
I went for the trail and I really tried hard to get in and I got called back for a place so I was really happy that I got in and  it’s a stepcloser to become a jockey.
When I started in RACE I was in the RACE yard for 3 months riding out one to two lots everyday. We rode out different horses most days and schooled a good few too. We rode out in the outdoor arena for a few weeks to get better and to get ready to go on the gallop. We went on the gallop and we schooled normally only once or twice a week so it was good because the horses would only get fed up of the same thing all week.
Near the end when we were being sent out to yards we went out on Maddenstown Gallops and we went at a faster pace than we would on the RACE gallop.
A few weeks later 10 of us from RACE got sent out to different yards. I got sent out to Alan Flemings which is just a few minutes away from RACE over by Tracy Collins and Paul Deegan.

I really like the yard I’m in and I am learning loads and getting loads of experience. I ride out with John Fitz and Adrian Heskin so I've learned a lot from them while riding out with them..

RACE Gallops earlier in the year

Practice shots on the Golf Simulator at Christmas