AS a young lad growing up in Clondalkin, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as horse racing.

There was no family connection at all with the sport. My Da was a mains layer, who would have put gas into the ground. I was a good footballer before I quit that for boxing.

In my early teens, I started riding ponies bareback in the Bawnogue Fields, which are located just beside our house. At that stage, I could never have imagined that I would one day go on to become a jockey; riding winners in four countries, on three different continents.

I was a bit of a wild child in my early teens. I left home and moved in with my stepdad. He bought me a trotting mare in an attempt to keep me out of trouble.

In the summer, I did the week trial for RACE but didn’t end up getting a place on the course. My cousin knew Michael Cleary, who trains down in Prosperous in Kildare. I went down to him for three days.

Straight away, he had me sitting up on the quiet racehorses; the first time I’d ever sat on a thoroughbred or used a saddle. After just a few days, Michael said he had a job for me in England with Ferdy Murphy if I wanted it.

In 2010, a day after I turned 16, I started working for Ferdy. To be honest, I barely even knew how to ride; I had only used a saddle for the first time the week before! Ferdy and Graham Lee basically had to teach me everything from scratch.

Two rides

In 2012, I took out a conditional licence with Ferdy. I had two rides on the track but to be honest, I wasn’t ready. Although riding horses came naturally to me, at that point, I didn’t have the mentality needed to become a jockey.

The following year, Ferdy wound down his training business in Britain and moved over to France. I rode out for Philip Kirby and Simon West for a few months, before renewing my licence with Micky Hammond. Micky was very good to me during the year I spent working for him.

Looking back on it now, I can appreciate how much he tried to help. I think I probably didn’t have the dedication to be honest. I lacked that hunger or drive needed to take the next step.

After the Cheltenham Festival in 2015, I came over to America to Leslie and Paddy Young. I was there for three months on a working holiday Visa. They were absolutely brilliant people to work for. During that time, I took out an amateur licence, riding my first winner; Green Laser in a point-to-point at Potomac.

Full season

After the Visa expired, I came home for a month, before going back out to Doug Fout in Virginia. In 2016, my first full season riding as an amateur, I rode 12 winners in America. I had hoped to remain in the country but after encountering problems with my Visa, I had to return to Ireland.

I didn’t ride again for another two years. I spent a bit of time with both Gordon Elliott and Jessica Harrington before going down to Australia in 2017. I was employed as a track rider by Archie Alexander, Chris Waller and Matt Cumani while I was there.

When my time was up, I went to Dubai, where I spent six months breaking yearlings for John Hyde. While I was out there, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I came home to spend a bit of time with her before she died.

In 2018, I went back over to England, where I rode a couple of winners for Ben Haslam in amateur races on the flat. Towards the end of that year, I returned to Australia, where I rode as a jump jockey for Declan and Ciaron Maher. Although there weren’t a lot of opportunities, I did manage to ride a winner and I really enjoyed the whole experience.

Back to America

Once the season was over, I went back to John Hyde for another stint in Dubai. In the spring of 2020, following the Covid outbreak, I flew to America. It was the only option I had at the time due to flight restrictions!

I rode three further winners during the 2020/21 National Hunt season over there. It was a similar story the following year, breaking yearlings in Dubai for the winter, before another spring in America, where I notched up an additional four wins.

Following the death of Sheikh Hamdan, John Hyde didn’t send any yearlings to Dubai in 2023. Instead of breaking horses, I spent the winter riding out for trainer Doug Watson. From there, I went back down to Australia, where I had intended to resume race-riding. I encountered Visa problems which forced me to try my luck in New Zealand instead. I arrived in the country on a Thursday and rode a winner the very next day.

The quality of racing wouldn’t be as good as in Europe or even Australia but I enjoyed the time I was out there. I spent a few weeks back at home in late summer, before riding out for Karl Burke in Middleham.

On the track

Last month, I came over to America where I have been looking after a barn for Sean McDermott. I am hoping to apply for a Visa, with the intention of riding on the track when the spring comes.

My main focus would be on learning the trade from Sean, as I’d love to train once I retire from race-riding. I have said in the past that this would be my last season but I’m still enjoying it, so who knows?

When the times does come, I’d say I will most likely set up either here or in Australia. It just makes more financial sense to train in one or the other of those countries. I know for certain that it would be too difficult to make a living back in Ireland or in Britain.

Racing has taken me all over the world in the last decade or so. Wherever I end up, I have no doubt that I will remain within the industry.

Dylan was in conversation with John O’Riordan.