Meet the trainees - Ellen Hennessy

My name is Ellen Hennessy.  I will be 17 in June.  I’m from Naas Co. Kildare.  I have been riding since I was 5 years old. Before I came to RACE I had ponies at home and I did everything from show jumping to hunting and mounted games.  I rode out for trainer Michael Cleary for a summer 2 years ago. While I was in school I worked weekends in Corduff Stud just down the road from me. I worked there for nearly 2 years before I came to RACE. I learned lots in the stud, preparing the yearlings for sales and mares and foals.  I have ridden in the RDS in 2014 and 2012 playing mounted games on my pony.
I applied for the course in the summer of 2014 and was accepted for the trial in July. The trial was really tough but I tried my best and was accepted into the course. The course started on the first of September and for the first 3 months we were in the RACE yard riding their horses, most of the horses in the RACE yard are retired.  We would ride one or 2 lots a day and we would also use the simulators or do some stable management.  I loved riding out in the RACE barn it was good craic and the instructors are very good. You learn a lot in RACE, everyday is a school day here!

In November I was sent out to Kevin Prendergast yard on work placement.  I love it out there and although I’m the only girl in the yard it is good craic. The horses are all very good and it is a great experience working out there.  Every morning when we get up I have to get the bus at 6:20am and get to the yard at about 6:30 even though we don’t start until 7:00am.  When I get to the yard I empty all the water buckets and make sure all the horses are okay. When I’m finished I get my barrow of hay and muck out two or three boxes, give the horses hay and water and sweep in the stable.
Then I go and get my tack and see what horse I’m riding, I go and tack up my horse and make sure that there is no dirt or straw in their mane or tail.  When we are all ready we get a leg up and go out to the gallop. We do about two laps of the gallop and then walk the horses off.  Then we untack our horses and bring them for a roll in the sand arena. And wash their legs afterwards.  We then bring them back and give them a groom over.  We usually have about 5 or 6 horses to ride each day.

I am really enjoying the course so far and would recommend it for anyone to do as it is a great learning experience and so much fun.

Ellen on RACE gallops Parents Day 2014

Meet the trainees - David Sweeney

Hello! my name is David Sweeney and I am from Kildorrery Co. Cork. I am 19 years old.

From the age of 11 or 12 I got an interest for horses and racing as the local point to points were held only across the road. Straight away I was ‘bitten by the bug’.

The point to points were held on my neighbours stud farm and whenever I had any spare time I would head across to my neighbours yard and help out around the barn. After awhile I took up riding lessons in Killavullen Co. Cork and learned a lot. The lessons became too expensive so I had to give them up but that didn’t stop my love of horses.

Every school holiday I would head down to my neighbours yard to help and I started riding a hunter below there. I found out about the Racing Academy from my boss and about him telling me that he tried to get in but he was too heavy. I tried to persuade my parents to let me go to RACE as soon as I was 16, but no, they told me that I had to stay in school and get my Leaving Cert and to be honest it was the best decision I ever made to date.

I’m very glad I stayed in school as it helped me to mature because I think if I was to have gone to RACE at 16 I don’t think I would have been able for the responsibilities of being out in the ‘big bad’ world at such a young age.

So anyway, I stayed in school and got a good leaving cert and I am now a trainee in RACE. After this course I hope to pursue my interest in point to pointing and take out an Amateur Licence. I have also earned my place in college in Galway so I hope to take that on full time in September 2015. At the moment I am enjoying my time in Co.Kildare as it has helped me open my eyes in the Thoroughbred Industry and also it has helped me at home by applying what I have learned into working with a local trainer.

David on RACE Gallops - Parents Day 2014

Training - Indoor Arena

Meet the trainees - Niamh Cassidy

My name is Niamh Cassidy and I am from Celbridge in County Kildare.  I am nineteen years of age and completed my leaving certificate last year.  For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with horses and horse racing; much of my childhood was spent looking at the pictures in the Racing Post and learning the names of all the famous horses!  My favourite horse when I was little was a grey called One Man.  

My interest in horse racing comes from my Dad; he’s always had a few horses in training and he taught me so much about handling horses and the horse racing industry.  When I was sixteen he finally agreed to let me ride out, but only the quiet horses that didn’t pull too hard!

When I was in sixth year I decided to apply for RACE because I wanted to get more experience riding different horses and become a better rider.  I was invited to go on a week’s trial in July, which was undoubtedly one of the toughest weeks of my life!  The trial was very competitive and I wasn’t confident of securing a place at all, so I was absolutely delighted when I received a letter in the post on the 11th of August confirming that I had been accepted on the course.

We are currently on week 21 of the course, which is scary. The time is flying by! There is only 42 weeks altogether, so we are just about half way there.  I am really enjoying my experience at RACE so far.  I have learnt an awful lot from the instructors in the barn, my riding has definitely improved and I hope to continue improving throughout the year.  As well as learning more about horses and riding, I think all of us have learnt more about ourselves.  We have to work hard, remain focused and dedicated, and it helps that we can motivate each other.

I have made so many new friends here since the start of the year and have great craic with the four girls in my dorm: Sadhbh, Hayley, Amy and Siobhán.  We’re probably all going to cry on our last night in the blue dorm!

After I graduate from RACE in June I hope to get a job riding out for the summer and at weekends when I start college in September.  I would love to get a Qualified Rider’s license in the future so that I could ride in point to points and bumpers, and hopefully ride a few winners on the racetrack!
I have gained invaluable skills and knowledge here at RACE this year and it is definitely an experience I will never forget!

Niamh (right) with fellow trainee Siobhan

Niamh Schooling at RACE