Meet The Trainees - Sean O'Briain

Hi my name is Seán, I am 16 years old and I am from Dublin.

I have been riding horses for the past 8 or 9 years.  It was always my ambition to become a Jockey and just over 4 years ago I rang up a local Trainer named Adrian McGuinness and he gave me a summer job.  I was in Adrian’s for 3 years and I left when I came to RACE as I didn’t think I would have the time, but I did.  So instead of going back to the same yard I thought I would go to a different yard and that yard was John McConnell’s. I was there for a few months and I enjoyed every minute of it.

 I was sent out to John Oxx’s yard on work experience with RACE and I have learned so much in my time there and I have met some very nice people and learned a lot from them. 

I am riding out in Noel Meade’s at the moment on the weekends and I will be starting there full time when I’ve finished in RACE and I will be hoping to take out a Conditional License with him.

Sean (nearside) heading out on Maddenstown Gallops for Training

Meet The Trainees - Connor Casey

My name is Connor Casey I’m 16 years old. I am from Nurney, Co Kildare.

I came here (to RACE) because I wanted to become a Jockey. I love horses and hate school and I have always wanted to be a Jockey. I like to ride horses and to school them.
I grew up with my Uncle’s horses and I worked on his yard. I started riding when I was 10 years old and I did a lot of hunting. Since then I’ve been working on my Uncle’s yard and I still ride out his hunters at the weekend. My cousin is a Jockey in England and a lot of my family are involved in the racing industry.

My first week in D.K. Weld’s yard was difficult but I found my way and got experience. I got to ride horses by some of the top sires from all over the world.
Since I’ve come here I’ve made lots of friends and since being in RACE I’ve met lots of people who are part of the Racing Industry and I’m hoping that they will help me further my career as a Jockey. I would love to become a Professional Jockey in Ireland but would be willing to travel anywhere in the world.

Conor schooling on RACE Gallops

Meet The Trainees - Tia McLoughlin

My name is Tia Mcloughlin and I’m 17 years old. I’m from Dublin but I moved to Ashbourne, Co. Meath when I was 5 but I would never say that I am from Meath.  I’ve always been interested in horses since I was young. I started in a riding school when I was 8 and I’ve been there ever since. Even though I’m in R.A.C.E my horse is stabled there and I work there every Sunday.

I heard of the Racing Academy when I was in the riding school from a past pupil.  I was thinking to myself that sounds really difficult but I’d love to give it a go and see a different style of working with horses because it is nothing compared to working with ponies in a riding school. I did my Junior Cert then I skipped ‘TY’ (Transition Year) and went straight into 5th year. I stayed in school up until the last couple of weeks were I really just didn’t want to be there. So I went to the guidance councilor and she advised me to stay in school but then I brought up the idea of R.A.C.E and she thought that was a brilliant idea and helped me a lot. So I sent off my application and I received a letter a few weeks later that I had been accepted for a week long trial.

I was delighted that I was accepted for the trial and also a bit nervous but excited at the same time. I couldn’t wait to get down to the barn and get riding, but I was so wrong. On the trial we only got to ride once and it was not even for 10 minutes. The rest of the week down the barn involved painting fences, pulling weeds, cleaning the railings on the gallops which wasn’t too bad as it was in the middle of summer. We also did a lot of fitness through the week every night.

The trial week and all the hard work paid off. I am now out on work experience in Dermot Weld’s yard and I couldn’t be happier.  I hope to stay on as a senior and stay working for Dermot Weld to gain more experience and to go travelling. I’ve met some great people and learned a lot I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tia (front left) heading out for training on Maddenstown Gallops

Meet The Trainees - Mairead Fortune

I am from Ferns, County Wexford and am 17 years old.  Before RACE, I mainly did showjumping and worked the summer before RACE in John Joseph Murphy’s in Cork to get some experience. 

I started horse riding in about 2005 just doing pony club and lessons.  After a few years I got a pony and went on from there. I always remember from a young age watching racing on TV, mainly the big ones like the Grand National and I grew to idolise Ruby Walsh.  I knew I wanted to be a Jockey from about the age of 14 but never really did anything about it until I was 16 when I applied for the course in RACE and got accepted after a long and hard trial week.  So I was in RACE for the weekdays and started in Paul Nolan’s on the weekends. I learned so much in RACE that I didn’t know before hand and only really got the hang of riding a racehorse here.  I also learned a tonne in Paul Nolan’s. 

After the Christmas holidays I was sent out to my yard, for work placement, which was Alan Fleming’s yard. I was so lucky as it is such an amazing yard. Everyone has thought me loads out there and they are so helpful.  It took me a while to get a hang of the horses out there but I eventually did. I will definitely miss the yard! 

I have decided to go back and do my leaving cert as I think it is the best option as I am going down the National Hunt route. I will hopefully get my Amateur License out this year and keep riding out at the weekends. 

Mairead (left) on the long straight on Maddenstown Gallops

Meet The Trainees - Leona Kelly

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. 

Leona (center) going up the long straight on Maddenstown gallops