Hi, my name is James Coffey, I’m 16 years
old and I’m from Midleton in Cork. I started riding ponies when I was about 2
or 3 years old, but I started taking it serious when I was about 10. I have wanted to be a jockey all my life and
coming from a racing background, racing is the only thing I have ever wanted to
be involved in. I started in United Pony
Club when I was around 11 years old. I
did a bit of show jumping, hunter trials and hunting. I like hunter trials because you can go fast
and you’re jumping all kinds of jumps.
My grandad Donal trains pointers at home
with help from my dad Seamus, my aunt Paula and cousin Sarah. Over the summer I did a small bit in Terence
O’Briens yard and I learned a good bit there. I also ride out for my uncle Noel
O’Neill. I love it in RACE and my favourite time of the day is in the morning
because you’re down in the barn with the horses. Barry, Niall, Paul, Paddy,
Stephanie and Katie teach you loads. I
plan to go back to school for fifth and sixth year and I hope to do the best I
can, so I can get enough points to study either business or equine science in
college.
I heard about RACE from a lot of people at
the point-to-points and decided to have a crack at it myself. I applied for the course and did a trial week
in July. That week was tough, the heat
was well over 20 degrees. I don’t know
how we got through it, but we did. When
I got accepted onto the course I was straight onto my mam to tell the school
that I was going to miss transition year. I have gained a good bit of
experience while I have been in RACE and I hope that I am riding well. My fitness levels have come up a lot. My beep
test result was 7.7 in the first test but in the test before Christmas I got to
level 10.
I got sent out on placement to Michael
Grassick’s yard. I think I have come on as a rider and Kevin Coleman in there
has helped me a lot. A typical day would be waking up at 5:30 and going up to
the canteen to make a sandwich for tea break, I get the 6:15 bus and I would be
at the yard at around 6:30. I water the horses until everybody else is in. I
usually ride about four lots a day on the gallop at the yard and sometimes on
the Curragh. Once I have ridden all my
lots I help sweep, skip out and feed. I’d be back in RACE at about 1:00 and I
would be in school at 2:15. We have gym classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and
you would nearly be dead after it. Wayne
pushes us hard and hopefully it will all be worth it. I feel that I have gotten a lot stronger and
fitter because of it all. I hope to ride in point-to-points in a couple of
years for my grandad. And please god
with a lot of luck I could ride a few winners.
James was placed with Michael Grassick on the 14th of January
2019.
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| On cross country course |
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