Meet the trainees - Emer Bradley

Emer training on Maddenstown Gallops

Hi my name is Emer Bradley. I am 16 years old. I am from Rathconnell Nurney Co. Kildare. I got interested in horses at young age, starting to ride horses at the age of 7.  I love being around horses.  I have always wanted to be a Jockey, it was always a dream that I have had since I was a young girl.

I have my own hunting horses and my own racehorse ‘DontBackMe’. I got a job over the summer with P G Fahey.  That’s when I really got into Horse Racing.  He thought me a lot over the summer.
I use to love waking up on a Saturday morning knowing I was going to work in his yard. I applied for RACE because I was told by a lot of people that it was a very good place to go to, they said you learn so much in there.

When I found out I got a place on the week’s trial, I was so happy and when I did the week trial, I met loads of wonderful people and I didn’t want to go home. A few weeks later, I got the letter in the post and I was shaking, I really didn’t want to open it because I was afraid I wouldn’t get in. I opened my letter and saw the big congratulations on the top and I just froze and didn’t know what to do, I just couldn’t believe that I got in!

 I knew it was going to be hard leaving home and my family but I was going to work hard and keep my head down and hopefully in the future when I graduate from RACE, I will get into a good yard and take out a Conditional License and become a top Jockey.  If I get my license it will be like a dream come true!

In 2015 I found out I had epilepsy. It was like a bus hit me. I’m not going to let a medical problem get in the way of my dreams. The doctors said that I will have to be 5 years free of seizure before I can hold a Jockeys license. I am a year seizure free now. I am now out in Johnny Murtagh’s yard on work placement and I love every bit of it.  He is such a nice lad to work for and I’m happy I got sent out to him.

If your dreams don’t scare you, there not big enough!

Emer was placed with Johnny Murtagh on the 13th of February 2017