Meet the trainees - Tara Roche

Well, my name is Tara Roche. I’m 16 years old and I’m from Clifden, Co.Galway. I’ve always loved horses from a young age, ever since I first sat up on a horse I was hooked! When I was 8 years old I joined my local Pony Club, I also did show jumping and showing. It was a great way to get experience, but I always wanted to be a jockey because I loved going fast and I am competitive.

Since starting in RACE, my riding has improved greatly from the coaching we have gotten in the RACE barn. The experience we have gained from the barn has been great. We get to school over hurdles and fences, ride on the Curragh plains and the Maddenstown Gallops. When we ride out we have ear pieces so they (our instructors) can tell us what we need to change to improve whilst riding. We also get videoed riding and watch the re-play in slow motion to see what we needed to change or improve on, which was great!

We have fitness sessions twice a week with our Strength and Conditioning Coach, Wayne. He always pushes us hard, but I feel like I am so much fitter and stronger now than at the start of the course. We have also had simulator coaching from Instructor, Paddy Flood. I’ve learned loads from that and it  has helped improve my style on the simulator a lot.

In May we will be doing the Bogathon with Gaisce and I am really looking forward to it.

We also got to go to the Ploughing and race meetings with RACE which was good craic and I really enjoyed it!

I’m really enjoying the Trainee Jockey Course and I have made really good friends. I was sent out to John Feane on placement and I really like his yard. I am getting loads of experience out there. After RACE, I hope to take out my License and ride a few winners!

Tara was placed with John Feane on the 22nd of January 2018.

Outdoor arena - week 1 of course

Meet the trainees - Ben Kennedy

Hi my name is Ben Kennedy. I am 16 years old and from Dingle County Kerry. I was always sitting on ponies all my life but I started riding at a trekking centre near Dingle when I was 5 or 6 years old. I always loved racing and got my first taste of racing at the flapping in Dingle. My Dad has been in the committee for as long as I can remember and I suppose that is where my interest came from.

I remember going Pony Racing with my Dad and I had always wanted to try it. I got that chance when me and Dad went to North Kerry to look at a 12’2 Pony, called ‘In The Zone’.  A small black Pony with a white face and 2 different coloured eyes. He was no more thoroughbred than me, but it made no difference to me as we set off every Sunday to the Races.

‘In The Zone’ was a brilliant first pony and I learned loads on him, but as I got taller and heavier it was time for a step up. My last season with him was definitely not my best as I was too heavy for 12’2s, but I managed my first winner in Balleyferriter in a local Race on a Pony called Bradley, and I backed up the following year in the Race with the Same pony.  I started going away from home when I was about 12 years old.  I would go to Mallow to The O’Keeffe’s and I learned a lot. I then started riding in Tom Coopers on Saturdays.

I made the decision to come to RACE last summer after the open day. I was delighted when I got onto the course and I think I have improved massively since the start. For work placement, I was placed with Dermot Weld.  I am really enjoying working there.  I ride about 5 lots a day, most of them on Mr Weld’s Gallops and sometimes on the Curragh. 

When I finish at RACE I hope to apply for my Licence and become an Apprentice Jockey and then perhaps race under National Hunt  Rules.

Week 1 of the course, outdoor arena

Meet the trainees - Aidan Kelly

My name is Aidan Kelly. I am 16 years old and I am from Monasterevin, Co. Kildare.

I was always interested in horses ever since I was a young age. My Mother and Father had A Pony of their own which had a Foal and was sold by my Uncle.

I have hunted a lot on my own horse throughout the Winter and during the Summer. I would ride my neighbour’s horses (Pat Harrison or Buddy as he is known as).  When I was 14 I start working with Michael Halford, this improved my riding a lot.  I often visited the Curragh Racecourse and would enjoy seeing the horses fly up the home straight. I have wanted to become a jockey ever since Johnny Murtagh visited my local Chapel talking about his life, horses and the ups and downs throughout his life.

I heard about RACE when Mikey Melia joined the course 2 years ago. He told me about the course and ever since then I have wanted to go to RACE. I went to an open day and soon after I received a letter telling me I should attend a Trial Week. I was overwhelmed when after a few weeks, I was notified that I got a place on the course. 

I started down in the barn and really enjoyed my time down there riding out 2 lots and learning more information that I never knew about horses.  My riding improved more and more and eventually I was sent out on work placement to Christie Roche on the 20^th of November 2017. 

On my first day I rode 6 lots!  There are about 15 horses in training.   It’s ‘so far so good’ in Christie’s. He let me school around the ‘8’ on the Curragh a handful of times.  I go into Christie’s every Saturday also as it gets me out of the house for a few hours. 

My daily routine in the yard is to get in there before anyone else does and start working.  I am usually in the yard for around 6:40 am as I cycle and don’t have to wait for the bus.  I get into the yard and muck out the 5 horses. I look after them and bed them down. We then go tack up our first lot and give them a walk.  It’s the same every morning. We ride that lot and move on to the next, tacking them up before we go for our tea break.  We then ride out the rest of our lots. When we finish riding out we feed and do whatever else is needed to be done and usually finish for around 12:30 pm.  In February 2018 Christie retired and his son, Padraig took over the training in the yard. Since then we a few more horses to look after, so there are about 20 horses in now. 

I am looking forward to getting my National Hunt Licence when I have finished the course and I hope to have plenty of winners in the future! 

Aidan (nearside) upsides on long straight, Maddenstown (Assessment Week)