Meet The Trainees - Erica Byrne Burke

Hi my name is Erica Byrne Burke. I am 17 years old and I’m from Ratoath Co. Meath. Since I was small I always had a love for horses I started riding in Broadmeadows Equestrian Centre in Ashbourne and I did some showjumping.  Since day one of riding horses I always had a dream of becoming a Jockey and wanted to get into racing but I just didn’t know how as I didn’t really have a horsey background. I knew it was going to happen someday I just didn’t know how or when.  I always watched racing on the TV and went to Fairyhouse whenever there was a race meeting.  

The first racing yard I was in was Dermot Mcloughlins up at home, I ended up there as I got work experience with him for 2 weeks with school and I got a weekend job out of it. I didn’t have experience with racehorses so I mostly rode out the hunter and rode one or two quiet racehorses.  In the racing yard I gained a lot of experience and I wouldn’t be in RACE now if it wasn’t for the lads in the yard, I found out about RACE form one of the lads that came through RACE a few years ago, Conor Maxwell. I went to the open day and I knew that I wanted to come here. I felt like it was a great opportunity to get involved in racing.

The trial week was one of the toughest weeks of my life but I knew I had to get onto this course, so I gave it everything I could and I got accepted for the course. I’ve learned so much from being on this course and I am delighted to have got the opportunity to be here.  I got sent out to Dermot Welds from RACE and I hope to stay there and stay on as a senior in RACE.  I have gained so much experience and have really enjoyed every minute of it. I hope to take out my license next year and hopefully my dream will come true in a few years and I get to ride up along sides with the likes of Bryan Cooper, Nina Carberry, Johnny Burke and Ruby Walsh.

My Mam use to have to drag me out of  bed every  morning to go to school and now I jump out of the bed every morning at 6 o clock to get up to do what I love the most. 

Erica on Maddenstown Gallops

Meet The Trainees - Aodhan Gallen

My name is Aodhan Gallen, I am 17 years old since December. I grew up in Donegal and now live in Tyrone.  My family have no experience with horses whatsoever, it was just my competitive mind that got me into racing. I just love winning! 

At a young age I played all sorts of sports weather it was Football, Gaelic, Boxing, Swimming you name it I am sure I have done it at one point in my life. As I said my family does not really have a sporting background or a racing background as a matter of fact so to be honest I just think its luck that I eventually tried a sport I really loved rather than doing it as a hobby. 

I was around 10 when I went to my first riding lesson in Tullywhisker Riding School but I had only been there for around 3 months before I moved to Ash Lee Riding School because it was a lot closer to home.  I spent just over a year at Ash Lee Riding School before I moved to local flapping Trainer, Jerry Collins at the age of 15. This was my first time ever sitting on a racehorse and I still don’t know if I was terrified or if I absolutely loved it on my first day there. I now ride in Flapping / Pony Races for Jerry, every weekend when I’m home, he’s a great man and I cannot thank him enough. When I was riding out for Jerry it was then I found out about RACE and he suggested it would be a great place for me because I knew absolutely nothing about racing.

Since I’ve starting in RACE in September, I have learned a huge amount about the Racing Industry and I have improved my riding along the way. From RACE I was sent out to Paul Deegan’s yard, where I have learned a lot especially riding work. I ride work every Wednesday and Friday with previous RACE Graduates who have turned professional such as Conor Hoban and Chris Hayes. They are more than good to me and I know I can ask them any question no matter how silly it may sound. I also cannot thank Paul Deegan enough for the opportunities he has given me within the yard and letting me ride some top class horses. 

Above all there are 2 people I would like to thank and that is my Mum and Dad. They have supported me so much along the way and I know they always will. In the future I know I will out a license and ride winners. How many? Only time will tell.

Aodhan training on the Curragh

Meet The Trainees - Jack Ruddy

My name is Jack Ruddy; I am 17 years old since May. I have grown up in County Meath. I don’t come from a racing background but I got my interest in racing from my granddad. At the weekends, after finishing up the work on the farm, we would go in the house and watch channel 4 racing. When I was ten I got my first pony bobby. I learned how to ride him and did loads of pony lessons. Two years later I got another horse Harry and that’s when I started to compete at showjumping and hunter trials. Harry is a great horse and thankfully I won a few competitions on him. 

When I was younger I did a lot of GAA but at the age of fourteen I lost interest in it and that’s when I got the interest of wanting to become the next A.P. McCoy.

At the age of fifteen I started riding out in Tony Martin’s yard as it is only down the road from me. In Tony’s I learned a lot from the lads riding out such as Paddy McGuigan, Mikey O’ Connor, Alicia Kelly and the Jockeys Donagh Meyler and Shane Shorthall and the main man himself Tony. I learned things like my position and holding the horse on the gallops. 

 I am still working in Tony’s weekends and holidays. I am thankful to Tony for giving me chances from schooling and getting to ride work with the jockeys.

Ever since I started in RACE back in September there was still plenty of room for improvement and thankfully I learned a lot from all the instructors in RACE and a big thanks to Barry Walsh for the amount of stern words he gave me, it helped me in the end.

In November I was sent out to Sandra Hughes on work placement, where I have made really good friends like Nathan Masterson and Shauna Keatley. The early mornings were tough in the dead of winter but as the mornings get brighter and brighter I’m finding them a lot easier.

When I finish here in RACE  I hope to work in Tony’s before I go back to school in September and I hope to get my Amateur License in the future along with plenty of winners to go with it and hope to go professional in the end.

Jack after training on Maddenstown  Gallops