Meet the trainees - Jack Collins

I don’t come from a horsey background. The first time I sat up on a horse was at a friend’s house at the age of 14, his mother was a horse dealer who kept a lot of show jumping ponies and horses. Once I got over the initial fear of them I started to get obsessed with horses and every chance I got I would be in the yard. I started  showjumping at shows in every corner of the country, first at the lower levels and eventually I got to jump a few big classes. It was all great and much needed mileage! During the off season I would hunt whatever horses I could get a hold of, many being young and even a bit hardy so I learnt a lot from it.

When I came to the RACE open day I wasn't interested in being a jockey but I was hoping to look at the farrier school which was where I had hoped to go. When I listened to the director talk about the trainee jockey course I was hooked straight away and by the end of the briefing I had no interest in looking at the farrier school.

It was then that I turned my attention to getting into a jump yard, so I applied to RACE and then started working in Michael Hourigans in Co. Limerick. It was there that I got my first experience with racehorses and I gained a lot of experience from riding out with good jockeys like Adrian Heskin. When I was in school doing my leaving Cert I decided it would make more sense to be in a local yard as I would be limited on the time I would have so I started riding in Declan McNamara’s yard just 5 minutes down the road from my house in Co. Clare. It was great to be in a yard where I was allowed to school and ride work and it done my confidence the world of good.

When I came to RACE I was very impressed with the facilities and all the help that was at hand. I can’t think of any other place that will help you this much with your riding. I am now out in work placement in John Oxx’s yard and I absolutely love it, it’s great to be riding good horses everyday and to be working with such helpful people.

I hope to progress my riding as much as I can before the end of the course and afterwards I’ll keep my head down and keep working and hopefully the lucky breaks will come. I hope to take what I have learned about diet, fitness and yard routine and always remember it wherever I am after the course.

RACE Gallops in September

Jack leading the string on RACE Gallops

Trainees try out Rock Climbing

Meet the trainees - Lauren Gorevan

I am from Ardclough and celebrated my 16th birthday in December 2014.  Before I started in RACE I did a lot of horse riding in Jane Foley’s in Castle Warden Co. Kildare.

I started horse riding at 7 years of age and got lessons every Saturday and Sundays and did a lot of hunting and hunter trials and a bit of I.P.S.
While in RACE, during the Christmas holidays I went to a trainer Tom Taffee’s yard, I worked there for the 2 weeks and got a job on the weekends and learned a lot while I was there.

I was always interested in racing and went to Puncherstown races and more meetings over the years. When I got in to secondary school I started to get really focused and wanted to go to Racing Academy.
I always looked up to Johnny Murtagh because he went from never riding racehorses until he went to RACE and then went to John Oxx and then was top jockey for him!
I am trying to gain a lot of more knowledge of racing and trying to improve my style of riding and to get stronger on the horses.  I hope to go to a good yard, get a lot of experience and get my licence and become an Apprentice.
When I went for the trials in RACE it was competitive and I didn’t know if I was going to be accepted. When I got my letter I was nervous to open it and when I opened it I was delighted when I saw that I got in.
 I knew it was the place to be when I started and I knew I had to keep my head down and work hard to get what I want.  

RACE Gallops in September

Parents Day 2014