Horses have always been in the family. There has been an association going back through the generations. My own father and his father before him would have both ridden in point-to-points. When we were young, my father was still riding, as well as training his own horses.

As soon as I was able to walk, I was riding ponies at home, having started on the quiet thoroughbreds while still in primary school. I would have been at home mostly in my teenage years but towards the end of secondary school, I started going in to Philip Rothwell at weekends and holidays. He is only five minutes up the road from us at home, so the two families would have known each other well. 

At 16, I took out my bumper licence and had a few rides under rules for both Philip and my father. My first ever ride was on Solid Concrete at Gowran Park in March 2012. My father only had a couple of horses for the track, to help keep me ticking over until I could get my point-to-point licence. When I turned 17, he started me off in point-to-points and Philip (Rothwell) also gave me a few rides.

First success

My first winner came down in Grennan in November 2015, on a mare of my father’s named Ballydarci. It was always the point-to-points that I wanted to ride in, so it was. I had a handful of rides on the track every year since getting the licence but the point-to-points were the main thing. My older brother Aaron (Walsh) had his licence for a while and I would have watched him ride every Sunday. 

(Singing) Banjo, a horse we bought as a three-year-old, has been here at home ever since. I rode him to win his point-to-point at Tinahely, when trained by my father, before Philip trained him for the track. He later went back point-to-pointing for my father and I won a second point on him at Tattersalls Farm in 2020.

The following year, when again trained by Philip, Banjo won the Ladies Cup on the Tuesday of Punchestown, before following it up in the La Touche on the Thursday. The only disappointing thing was that it was during Covid, so there were no crowds and none of the family were there.

It was still great to get a first winner on the track, especially on the cross- country course. A couple of months later, we won a handicap chase at our local Wexford track but again, while it was nice to ride a winner over regular fences, Covid meant that the family still couldn’t be there. 

Softer ground

After Wexford, Banjo finished second, beaten a neck, at Cheltenham that November in the cross-country chase. The ground had gone a bit too soft for him on his next couple of runs but he came back to finish second in the La Touche at Punchestown in April. By the time he had his next run over the cross-country fences in November, the horse was trained by my father.

He had decided to take out his hunter chaser permit which allowed him to run horses in those races. In January, when Banjo ran at the Cheltenham meeting, my name was down as the trainer. It was something I had always wanted to do since I was very young but we just didn’t really have horses for the track.

To be honest, I took out the licence mostly for him, although we would hope to run a few more on the track. I had entered him for Cheltenham in December but the meeting was called off because of frost. He also received an entry in March but would never have run as it turned out because the ground was much too soft. 

Ripe age

Although he is 14, Banjo is an easy horse to keep sweet at home. He just rides out every day and schools over a cross-country course we have built here. He loves going to the beach and different places as well, just for something different. I have ridden him in every one of his races and for all six of his wins.

The La Touche win this year was brilliant as not only did I ride him but he gave me my first win as a trainer. He loved the race but had to really battle back after being hampered at the double by a loose horse and losing ground. It was great that all the family could be there; so different to the last couple of times he won (at Punchestown).

The plan is to keep him in training and find a handicap chase over a trip on good ground during the summer. Hopefully, if the weather stays dry, we might get back to Cheltenham in November. After that, the Punchestown races after Christmas and Cheltenham in March would be the aim. All being well, he can return for the La Touche next year. 

Second winner

Pepperpots gave me a second winner as a trainer when winning at Downpatrick last month. She just wasn’t seeing out three miles in her point-to-points, so we ran her in a mares’ bumper at Tipperary where she finished seventh. She had always worked well at home but she certainly surprised us when winning at 100/1 on her next run! She will go for another bumper now.

I’d like to have a few more for the track. Hopefully after herself and Banjo winning, we might get a few new owners. Our main business is to sell and keep new stock coming through. It’s a small set up here; a real family affair. Myself, my father John and my fiancé Karen, ride out every morning. With the restricted licence, we only have four or five track horses at a time but have the same again for point-to-points.   

John O’Riordan was in conversation with Barry John Walsh.