My name is Kirsty Bourke I’m 17 years old and from Kildare Town. I was always interested in horse racing as both my Parents worked in racing so my passion started from there. Growing up in Newmarket the capital of horse racing in England helped me a lot as I started riding out when I was 13. Previous to that I had ridden ponies in small events.
I never really was interested in show jumping as a child I would rather stay at home and watch the racing or go racing with my Dad. When I moved back to Ireland in 2015 there was nothing else I wanted to do than to go to RACE. So when the applications came out I’m sure I was the first one to have applied. When I found out I had been accepted on to the course after a successful trial week, I was delighted and could not wait to start.
While being in RACE, there have been many ups and downs. The downs being missing out on 3 months of riding due to a fractured ankle. All I wanted to do was get back riding and every day I was off felt like a year to me. In the photo is a picture of Curling Bird and even though he’s probably one of the easier horses to ride, I’ll never forget the day he dropped me twice within the space of 2 minutes and I still got back up on him and rode upsides on the gallop with one of our instructors. I felt so stupid yet proud at the same time. The fact that he is such an easy ride taught me a lesson that you have to watch the quiet ones.
I’ve learned a lot of things that I didn’t know, since being in RACE. I plan to be a Racing Secretary in the future but for the next few years I plan to use all the skills that I have learnt in RACE to carry on riding out in Ireland.
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| Family Day November 2015 |
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