Meet the Trainees - Sophia Jones

Hi, my name is Sophia Jones, I am from Wicklow and I am 16 years old. I started riding on my 8th birthday and that birthday present lasted much longer than my parents expected. Before coming to RACE, I competed in Show jumping, Dressage and Eventing. I spent a few months working in a showjumping yard in Kilkenny, doing this proved to me that I wanted to work in the Equine Industry. I have always loved horses for as long as I can remember, and I couldn’t imagine life without them.

I found out about RACE through a few different graduates. It sounded like it was exactly what I wanted, so I decided to apply for RACE and I did a week trial. I must admit it was tough but well worth it. I was shocked when I got my letter saying that I was accepted into RACE. At first it was hard being away from home but in no time, you are settled in, months have flown by and my time here has been amazing.  I have two favourite horses down in the barn, Bold Thady Quill and Eye of the Tiger.  My favourite part of being in the barn is schooling over the hurdles and the fences, it’s the best feeling!

In my 7th week at RACE I fractured my foot whilst running and 6 weeks later I fractured my other foot. During this time, I worked hard on my strength in the gym. Even though I was injured I still went down in the morning to watch everyone riding out.

I got back riding in January and I am now in John Oxx’s. A typical morning for me is to get up and have breakfast. My bus is at 6:05a.m., I finish around 1p.m. and I usually have 5 lots. Everyone in the yard are so helpful and give you different tips, my riding has come on a lot since I’ve been there. I love being out in the yard, no day is ever the same. I have had such great opportunities already riding on different gallops on the Curragh such as the Old Vic. 

It’s like a family up here, I share my dorm with 5 other girls, and it feels like I have known them forever. We are very close and get each other through everything. Our evenings are usually filled, on Mondays and Wednesdays we have gym with Wayne, he puts us through our paces, but you always feel the better of it.  We have had Pilates with John the chef as well as cooking classes. We also have lessons on the simulator with Paddy Flood. Fitness is a large part of the course, we have a number of fitness tests throughout the year and the targets get higher each time, it is great to see that all the sessions with the coach have paid off.

I think RACE is a great place for anyone who wants to be a jockey or who wants to work in industry.  If you work hard it will all pay off. 

Sophia was placed with John Oxx on the 14^th of January 2019.

The long straight on Maddenstown Gallops

Meet the Trainees - Philip Egan

Hi, my name is Philip Egan and I am from the Curragh, Co. Kildare. I always wanted to be a jockey since I started going racing and following the careers of my brother David Egan and my Dad, John Egan.

I loved going hunting when I was 12 and 13, it helped my confidence a lot both with horses and with difficult jumps. I had 16 rides in the pony racing which made me very sharp and observant.  I also went to Sir Mark Prescott in the summer of 2017 and then I went to Jim Bolger’s the following year, for the summer, and instead of going back to school, I was accepted as a student at the racing academy.  At RACE I continued to increase my fitness and train hard in the Gym, running up to 10km on the treadmill a few times a week. The yard I was sent out to was Mr. Dermot Weld. I started my first day in Mr. Welds in November 2018 and I really love it there.

I always had a great interest in horse racing since a young age as I came from a racing background. I spent a lot of time with my grandad Dessie Hughes, he helped me get to know many riding techniques and taught me the right way to treat the horses. Back in 2014, when my grandad died, my mum took over training and that is when I put my head down and did as much work as I could around the yard.  I spent most of the time outside with the horses and learned from the other jockeys such as Bryan Cooper. Often, when I went to England to visit my dad John and my brother David, they would take me to the yards to ride out with them.

Once I graduate from RACE 2019, I hope to eventually go to England and when the time comes to get my Flat license.

It was great to have the good instructors in Race such as Paddy Flood, Barry Walsh, Niall Byrne and Paul Keating. They thought me a lot and got me on the right road.

Philip was placed with Dermot Weld on the 19^th of November 2018.

Maddenstown Gallops

Meet the Trainees - Conor Ryan

Hi, my name is Conor Ryan and I’m from Tipperary. I am 18 years old and I have always been interested in horses from a young age. I started pony lessons in 2005, then in 2009 I got my own pony and I started going hunting and doing cross country. I always loved watching jump racing on the tv and I enjoy taking part in hunter trials.

I applied for RACE and then went up for a trial week. We worked hard for the week, but it was worth it when I an acceptance letter in the post, I was delighted. Since the start of the course in September, I have schooled over the chase fences and hurdles, we also jumped out of the starting stalls and went across to Maddenstown gallop.  In the afternoons we go to class for business calculations, IT and communications.   

I was sent out on yard placement in January to Aidan Howards yard.  Each morning I start riding out once I arrive at the yard and I usually get 5 to 6 lots out every day.  I’m really enjoying my time there and everyone is so helpful. I’m learning loads every morning. Tuesday and Friday, we ride 3 lots on the Curragh at the “big sand” with different jockeys. I also really enjoy riding at the old Vic on the Saturdays when I stay back to work.   

I am looking forward to graduating in June and I hope to get my National Hunt licence in due course. 

 Conor was placed with Aidan Howard on the 14^th of January 2019.

On Maddenstown Gallops

Meet the Trainees - Sean Carey

Hi, my name is Sean Carey. I am 17 years old and I’m from Meath. I grew up loving horse racing. Before coming to RACE, I didn’t have a lot of riding experience, just experience around horses. I worked in a yard with mares and foals along with injured horses owned by John Breslin. But my preferred hobby at the time was GAA.

I took part in the trial at the end of June and enjoyed every minute of it. The trial lasted a week, a week of fitness tests and painting fences! When I got accepted to RACE I was over the moon and couldn’t wait to start. I started RACE at the end of August.

When I started RACE I was nervous but very excited. I’ve learnt so much from the lads in the barn and couldn’t have asked for better help.  My fitness has increased due to the training with Wayne, which takes place on a Monday and a Wednesday, while on a Tuesday and Thursday we would usually go to the gym or simulators on our own.  Some Tuesday evenings we would be lucky enough to get simulator lessons off Paddy Flood, he always gives us great advice and tips. My diet is much better from eating great food cooked by john.

I am now working in Alan Flemings and loving every bit of it.  I am up at 6 o’clock every morning to get the RACE bus for 6:45. We start work at 7:20, tack up our first lot straight away and put our second lot on the walker. Every day is different, but we usually have 4/5 lots a day. Every morning we use different gallops. Alan himself has a new gallop which we usually use on a Monday, he also uses Maddenstown straight, the big sand and the grass gallop. All the staff in Alans are very helpful and have helped me out since the start. Alan himself has been very good to me and hasn’t treated me any different to anybody else in the yard.

Some other RACE students and I were lucky enough to get a schooling lesson from Sean Flannagan.  He was extremely helpful and told us how we can improve. He then answered questions asked by the RACE students, which was great to listen to as he gave us plenty of ways to improve. Sean was extremely nice and for a top jockey like him to visit us we were very grateful. We also got the opportunity to listen to David Egan speak, it was nice to get more advice from a top jockey.  We were also very fortunate to have a Cheltenham preview night here at RACE. Sean Flannagan, David Mullins and Niall Madden were the guest speakers along with MC Niall Cronin.  

We are getting close to the end of the course and we have more guest speakers coming in soon. I have enjoyed every bit of the course and the time has gone so quick. I hope I get kept on in Flemings and someday maybe take my licence out.

Sean was placed with Alan Fleming on the 18^th of February 2019

Maddenstown Gallops