Meet the trainees - Emer Bradley

Emer training on Maddenstown Gallops

Hi my name is Emer Bradley. I am 16 years old. I am from Rathconnell Nurney Co. Kildare. I got interested in horses at young age, starting to ride horses at the age of 7.  I love being around horses.  I have always wanted to be a Jockey, it was always a dream that I have had since I was a young girl.

I have my own hunting horses and my own racehorse ‘DontBackMe’. I got a job over the summer with P G Fahey.  That’s when I really got into Horse Racing.  He thought me a lot over the summer.
I use to love waking up on a Saturday morning knowing I was going to work in his yard. I applied for RACE because I was told by a lot of people that it was a very good place to go to, they said you learn so much in there.

When I found out I got a place on the week’s trial, I was so happy and when I did the week trial, I met loads of wonderful people and I didn’t want to go home. A few weeks later, I got the letter in the post and I was shaking, I really didn’t want to open it because I was afraid I wouldn’t get in. I opened my letter and saw the big congratulations on the top and I just froze and didn’t know what to do, I just couldn’t believe that I got in!

 I knew it was going to be hard leaving home and my family but I was going to work hard and keep my head down and hopefully in the future when I graduate from RACE, I will get into a good yard and take out a Conditional License and become a top Jockey.  If I get my license it will be like a dream come true!

In 2015 I found out I had epilepsy. It was like a bus hit me. I’m not going to let a medical problem get in the way of my dreams. The doctors said that I will have to be 5 years free of seizure before I can hold a Jockeys license. I am a year seizure free now. I am now out in Johnny Murtagh’s yard on work placement and I love every bit of it.  He is such a nice lad to work for and I’m happy I got sent out to him.

If your dreams don’t scare you, there not big enough!

Emer was placed with Johnny Murtagh on the 13th of February 2017

Meet the trainees - Nikita Kane

Nikita schooling over hurdles on the Curragh Schooling Ground for Assessment week

Well lads! My names Nikita Kane I am 19 years old and I am from good auld County Offaly .I’ve had an interest in horses ever since I was 2 years of age.  I picked up my love for horses from my Mother and two Uncles who are a Riding Instructors and Yard Assistant Trainer, so from then on I started my journey with horses.
 I began riding in Birr Equestrian Centre and I was always a horsey mad child who’d run around and jump fences and play pretend horses. I started hunting from the age of 8 I did pony club, flapping, show jumping. As the years went on I did eventing and in TY (Transition Year), for my work experience, I went to work in Shane Broderick’s (JP Broderick) Racing and I still work there.  I loved going out every morning and riding out and being around Jockeys and seeing how they cope everyday and I thought yeah I want to have this as my career once I am done school. All the great support I get from Shane really helps. I’ve always wanted to become a jockey like Nina Carberry or Josephine Gordon as these women inspire me,   I looked up to them and one day wanted to be like them.
 I started flapping at the age of 12 with the midlands pony racing and from then on I knew I had to follow my dream.  It just felt like who I should be and who I was meant to be.  No amount of broken bones or critical injuries will hold me back now because that’s the risk we take and I am prepared to take any jump or leap to achieve my goal. My Mother was like ‘why would you want to be a jockey? its dangerous?’, but as I say, ah sure it’ll be grand,  life’s too short so give her welly and whip drive her on to the finish!, because no one knows when your time’s up so make it last.
I decided to do a pony racing course day up here in RACE back in 2014. After that I came to an open day for the Trainee Course, but I went back to complete my Leaving Cert and then try to get on the course, which I did and I was delighted to have gotten accepted.

From the help of RACE Instructors, I’ve been shown how to work around Racehorses and they taught me what I needed to do and what to work on to improve my riding and look and ride more like a work rider. It helped me get a better understanding of what the work is really like and we were put through our paces in the toughest of disciplines to achieve the best results that we can to making it in the Horse Racing Industry .Now I am out on work experience with Adrian Keatly, the 2016, 1000 Guineas Winner.  I enjoy working there and learn lots every day and have come on a lot in my riding and handling since I’ve started. Now I am a step closer to where I want to be with only a short time left to go and I am excited to see what my future may hold, with determination and a fighting soul you can make it!
Nikita was placed with Adrian Keatly on the 21st of November 2016

Meet the trainees - Lee Shanahan

My name is Lee Shanahan. I am 16 years old.  I am from Tallaght in Co. Dublin. Me and my Da had horses all our lives.  I started out hunting and cross country. It was with horses that I met one of my best mates, together we always sat down and watched horse racing on telly and we would always talk about becoming Jockeys one day.

 It was when I started secondary school that I really wanted to be a jockey.  So when I came to one of the RACE open days, in first year, I knew that this was what I wanted to do.  When I was finished 5th year I came to the trial week here at RACE and worked my hardest and thankfully I was accepted.
When I had to get up at 8am every morning for school, I couldn’t get up out of bed. Even my Ma and Da were saying “you won’t get up at 6am every morning” but because I know I am getting up to muck out and ride out I can spring out of bed like its 2pm, instead of dragging myself out at 8am knowing I was going to sit in a School.

At the Moment I am working in Dermot Weld’s main yard, Rosewell House. There are 30 odd riding out most mornings.  All the lads I work with do help me out and give me tips on my riding, they have tidied me up and made me look a lot neater on a horse then when I first started. Mr Weld does help me out as well telling me where I can improve and how. Love what I am doing now and much rather riding out than going to School.

I hope to become a Champion National Hunt Jockey in the future, well that’s the plan anyway!

Lee was placed in Dermot Welds on 21st November 2016

Lee schooling over fences in the Indoor Arena at RACE