Meet the trainees - Eilis Breathnach Ni hEalaithe

My name is Eilis Breathnach.  I’m from Wicklow and I have always been interested in horses.   I have been able to ride for as long as I can remember and I always wanted to work with horses.  My family have always had horses and ponies at home and I was held up on a pony before I could walk.  I first learned to ride on Shetland ponies that we had at home and when I was eight I got my first proper pony and I still have her.  I started doing a few shows and hunts on her and I loved bringing her to the beach and going around home on her.  I got a horse then when I was older and I did a bit of everything on her but became interested in racing.

I decided to apply for RACE after going there on an open day with my older sister.  I applied for RACE as soon as I was old enough and was over the moon when I got in.  I am really enjoying the course and have learned a lot.  I love working down the barn and riding out especially on Maddenstown Gallops.  I had never ridden racehorses before and it took a while to get used to them, but I really enjoy it!

After a while I got in the rewards group and we got to visit a few racecourses and I found it very interesting to learn more about racing because I didn’t know that much about racing before I got here.  I can’t wait to go out to a trainer’s yard and I’m really looking forward to it. I would love to be a flat jockey when I am finished the course and be able to work with horses for as long as I can.

Eilis was placed with Michael Halford and the 13th of February 2017

Eilis warming up on Gallops for Family Day 2016

Meet the trainees - Chloe Finn O'Brien

My name is Chloe Finn O’Brien. I am from Ballyfermot, Dublin. I have always been interested in horses. Horses have always been in my family and played a big part in my life. I never liked school, I left straight after my junior cert and I was never in school. I always just wanted to be around horses.
Since I was young I wanted to become a National Hunt Jockey. I had never ridden a racehorse until I came to RACE. I did work experience in Moyglare Stud for a few weeks and they recommended that I go to RACE. I also heard about RACE from one of my friends who came here a few years ago. He really enjoyed the course and recommended that I apply.  I am really passionate about becoming a jockey and I am delighted that I applied.

I have been injured since November and up until the end of January, which has been frustrating but I have had lots of support from everyone at RACE. It’s now February and I’m catching up and loving being back in the saddle. I can’t wait to go on placement.

I am really enjoying it I have learned so much from being here. I have met so many nice people here and I hope to complete the course and go on and become a Professional National Hunt Jockey. 

Chloe was placed with Tracey Collins on 24th April 2017



 

Chloe doing riding display for Family Day in November 2016

Meet the trainees - Chelsea Hassel

Turning out horses for film shoot September 2016

My name is Chelsea Hassel and I’m from Cork and I’m 19 years old.  I’ve been riding Horses since I was a baby.  I did everything from pony club to hunting and only got into riding racehorses two years ago when I got a job with a small local trainer.  I was thrown up on everything and just told to “get on with it” so I never really learned properly how to ride racehorses.  The season before I came to RACE I was riding in Liam Burkes when I wasn’t at school (which was a lot) and I learned a lot from being there, which was something that did not happen the previous year.  Although I didn’t ride much in Liam’s, I really started to love the industry and it was there that I heard about RACE.

When I came to RACE I wasn’t really too sure what to expect but I thought it would be physically tough and now that I’ve been here so long and gotten fitter, it’s not bad at all!  Afternoon classes are a pain and so are the fitness tests but I can honestly say I’ve had the best laugh with the most amazing bunch of people and thinking back on how I used to ride, I only laugh now!.  RACE really isn’t what I expected as I didn’t think I’d have as much of a laugh as I have had the past few months. 
I haven’t been placed out on a yard yet but I’ve been told that  I will be out within the next week so I’m excited to find out where I’ll go although I’ll miss the laugh I have with Instructor,  Niall down the barn.
I don’t really know what my plans are for the future because at the beginning I just wanted to learn properly how to ride racehorses, so I could get into yards and not have trainers turning me down because of my age and gender,  but the more I stay here the more my plans change.  I’m hoping to get into a good yard and maybe stay as a senior and hopefully then I’ll get my National Hunt licence.

Chelsea was placed with James Nash on the 13th of February 2017