TO ride my first winner over jumps at Listowel last week was massive.

I only turned conditional earlier this year, so to get a winner early on should help raise my profile. I only found out later that my dad [Ray] had ridden the winner of that same race 28 years earlier. Having grown up dreaming of following in his footsteps in becoming a jockey, it was a nice coincidence to discover we share that success.

There were no horses at home; I grew up on a council estate. Dad had been a jockey, but retired just before I was born. He rode out for Eric McNamara.

From as young as three or four, I followed my father around. I sat on my first racehorse in Eric’s when I was no more than 10. I started pony racing a year or two later. I think that it’s a great education.

I’d advise any young fella who wanted to be a jockey to spend a couple of seasons pony racing. You learn so much on the circuit - how to ride in tight, how to ride a finish, develop a clock in your head. I’d say I spent the bones of three seasons at it.

I missed a lot through lockdown. In all, I probably rode 12 or 15 winners, I can’t remember exactly. Riding a winner at the Dingle meeting is one that I have good memories of.

When I finished pony racing at around 14 years of age, I got a summer job with Donnacha O’Brien. Between there and Eric’s, I rode out whenever I could fit it in around school over the next two years.

Homesick

Last summer, having taken out my apprentice licence, I was due to spend three months in England with David O’Meara. However, after just a month, I decided to return to Ireland, as I was feeling homesick. I had had a ride for Shark Hanlon under my belt before I went over and had three further rides in England.

On the day I came back, I rode my first winner on the track - Bear Claws in an apprentice handicap at Limerick. It was massive to get that first one at my local racecourse. Both dad and younger brother Alex were there on the day. What made it even more special though, was that it was for Eric, a local man, from whom I’d learned my trade in his yard. Riding that first winner definitely helped get me noticed, leading to further opportunities.

I signed on to Kevin Coleman shortly after Bear Claws won at Limerick. I was with him for the bones of a year.

Since I was a child, if you had asked me, I only ever wanted to be a jump jockey. I was only ever marking time on the flat. My weight was quite good, so it was a chance to tidy myself up a bit before switching to jumping.

I only rode one winner for Kevin (Fleetfootsoldier) and another for Michael McCullagh (Run The Jewels).

Having schooled horses for Eric since my early teens, I had a first ride over jumps for him at Tipperary in April of this year. By that stage, I was fully focussed on becoming a jump jockey. I’ll still ride away on the flat if I’m able to do the heavier weights, but National Hunt racing is my priority.

I’d ring around trainers looking for rides over jumps, especially in the conditional races. Hopefully now that I have ridden a jumps winner, that might make it a bit easier. I find that once trainers know that you have already ridden a winner, they are more likely to consider putting you up on one of theirs.

Hopeful

Going down to Listowel last Thursday, I was more hopeful than confident about Ifitwasme. He had won on good ground in Tipperary, so I wasn’t 100% sure that he would handle the soft ground, to be honest.

He got there travelling easily three out and I just went on from there. I knew I was well clear after jumping the next, but I never looked back to see just how far. I had always been warned in pony racing that you should never look back. Just go get the job done and win your race.

I had always known that dad won a conditional jockeys’ race at the Listowel Festival, but was surprised to learn after that it was a version of the same race I had just won.

I’d often look back through the previous results of different races to see if dad had won it, but nothing showed up for him when I did that before Listowel. It turned out that, although dad had won it when it was an open conditional jockeys race, the conditions had recently changed, so that it was now restricted to 7lb conditionals.

Dad was thrilled for me. He couldn’t make it down on the day, but I have a few videos of him screaming at the TV!

Dad and mam have been a huge help. Although dad had finished riding by the time I was born, I rode out with him in Eric’s from childhood. It was dad who got me interested in horses. It’s nice to have him there now to ask for advice on my own career.

The minute I’m out of the racecourse, I am straight on the phone to get his opinion. While I have a jockey coach, dad is very much a second one for me. I am very fortunate in that respect and fully appreciate how lucky I have been.

At the moment, I am in Eric’s five mornings a week. I also spend a morning a week with Eoin McCarthy. I don’t set myself any goals or plans, but the main aims are to keep improving, build up plenty of contacts, stay injury-free and ride as many winners as possible.

I think if you were to ask me to single out one aim, it would be to keep improving. I feel that if I can do that much, the rest will just follow naturally.

Calum Hogan was in conversation with John O’Riordan