My name is Leona Kelly, I’m 17 and from Cork. I grew up on a farm in the outskirts of Mallow Town. I don’t come from a racing background but I always loved watching the racing on the TV and going to the local point to point meetings. I always had a few horses at home for jumping and hunting. I rode a few point to point horses for Paul O’ Flynn and that’s where I got my love for racing from. I started working for Paul when I was 15 and gained plenty of experience from him. It was there I met Amanda McCarty and she told me I should go try out for RACE.
I got sent out to Tracey Collins yard through RACE in January. I learned the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of flat racing while working in Tracey’s yard. My first day in the yard, I was thrown in the deep end and put up on a yearling. Naturally I was very nervous but Tracey was always there to get me through it. I’m very thankful to Tracey for taking me on and pushing me through my highs and lows. I got a fall of a yearling, dislocated my collar bone and was off for some time and my riding went down hill for a bit.
When I was back Tracey was there pushing me on. I rode my first piece of work with Chris Hayes up the grass gallops over in Maddenstown on a Dream Ahead filly and I have been working the horses ever since. I got to lead up two horses for Tracey at Cork Racecourse with the head girl Hazel.
My aim now is to ride out back home for the summer and go back to school and get my Leaving Cert.
My dad has always been very supportive of my choice to leave school and follow my dreams. He has dragged me half way around the country a million and one times to please me. I’ll be forever thankful for it .In the future I hope to take out a flat license for a season and then go jumping.
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| Leona (center) going up the long straight on Maddenstown gallops |
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