Meet The Trainees - Chloe Byrne

Hello, my name is Chloe Byrne. I am from Kildare and I’m 16 years old. We have always had horses at home I started riding when I was 6, it was my sister that got me into it. I did a lot of hunting and competed in showjumping.

Before I came to RACE, I rode out in Arthur Moore’s yard to get a bit of experience. Everyone in Arthurs were very good to me and helped me to get my confidence up, along with getting experience riding racehorses.

I started riding in 2007. I did a lot of show jumping and eventually I got my own horse called Chester. I started showjumping and going hunting to get more experience. I always loved to watch horse racing on the TV. I’ve always idolised Katie Walsh. I then came to RACE for a week trial near the end of June 2018.  It was a very good week. On the last day, it was a Friday, we had a bootcamp to see if we put in enough effort to get into the course, it was very hard I will admit but it was all worth it in the end. Everyone improved on their riding, fitness and strength to pass their fitness test.

We are all down in the RACE barn riding out and everyone is getting on very well.  We have been brought to Maddenstown gallops and The Curragh plains to ride the horses.  We have done a lot of schooling with the horses, I really enjoyed it.

It was early January and I was sent out to Ted Walsh’s yard in kill and I was very happy with my placement. Ironically, I am now riding out with my idol. I start at 7:30 am and finish at 1:00 pm. I have 4/5 lots every day.  For first lot we pull out at 8 o’clock and meet up with Ross O’Sullivan’s crew, then we bring our horses up, give them a wash, put them on the walker, tack up and pull out our second lot and so on. The early mornings and the long days are hard, but I enjoy every bit of it. 

We are now near the end of the course and we had a few jockey’s in to speak to us such as David Egan, Sean Flanagan and Cathy Gannon. Sean gave us a schooling lesson and then had a talk with us about his life as a jockey. I will be graduating in June and I hope to take my apprentice license out in the future.

Chloe was placed with Ted Walsh on the 14^th of January 2019.

On Maddenstown Gallops