APART from my grandad probably putting on a few bets here and there, I am definitely the only one in my family to have an interest in racing. From as early as I can remember, I always wanted to ride horses. I don’t really know where that longing came from, as I grew up in Baltinglass (Wicklow) which wouldn’t be a real racing stronghold.

I learned to ride at Doyles Equestrian Centre in Rathvilly (Carlow) when I was four or five. I didn’t get a pony of my own until a few years later – buying it with my Confirmation money!

I hunted a bit, as well as competing at some local shows. In my early teens, I drifted away from horses for a few years. Having sold my pony, I worked as a waitress in a local restaurant during third and fourth year in school. It was through my cousins Sean and Eadaoin Byrne that I ended up getting back into the sport. As well as doing their own horses, both of them also worked for trainer Jessica Harrington. After seeing that Mrs Harrington was looking for a part-time work rider/stable hand, I applied for the job.

Australia

I started with Mrs Harrington in 2017, working part-time initially, staying with her until I moved to Australia two and a half years ago.

Having always wanted to ride on the racecourse, I took part in the Punchestown Charity race in 2019. In preparation, I did a lot of work with jockey coach Warren O’Connor. He saw that I was really into the whole thing and suggested I should take out my apprentice licence and give race-riding a proper go.

I ended up becoming apprenticed to Eddie Lynam. At the same time, I had finished school and went on to do the Equine Business Management Degree at Maynooth University. So, effectively, I was working for Mrs Harrington, Mr Lynam and studying for those couple of years. Unfortunately, with Covid hitting around that same time, I only managed six or seven rides on the track.

In September 2023, I decided that I would go to Australia. By then, I had stopped race-riding and was back working with Mrs Harrington full-time. I had always said that I would come here but the time wasn’t right.

I had kept in touch with Cian Moody, who worked for Mrs Harrington before going to Australia. Through him, I managed to organise a six-month farm work placement with trainer Tom Dabernig in Warrnambool.

After that finished, I stayed freelance as a self-employed track rider. During that time, I got to know trainer Maddie Raymond, for whom I rode out. In January of last year, with my visa about to expire, I needed to do a second six-month work placement in order to stay in Australia. Maddie took me on full-time as a work rider. Shortly after, I had a bad fall which sidelined me for months. I spent much of that placement on the ground, learning about the day-to-day running of a racing yard. Towards the end of 2024, Maddie was looking for an assistant trainer and I found myself in the right place, at the right time.

Maddie owns her own farm, which is outside of the town (Warrnambool). She has 26 horses in training, a number that would be relatively average for here. I recently got my lorry licence, so can transport the horses to the races, barrier trials or wherever needs be. I also look after the medications and moving horses within the farm.

We ride the horses on the beach every day, so we are constantly in and out through town. It’s like a home away from home here with so many Irish. Tom Madden, who I knew from Harrington’s, is based with Shane Jackson. Ronan Short is also out here, as well as Kate McPhilips from Naas. Luke Dempsey was here for a bit when he first came over before he moved to Queensland. When I finished college, I hoped that I would find a job working within the industry. At the time, I thought maybe something like a marketing role for a racecourse. However, since moving over here, I’ve realised just how much I’d miss the buzz of working with horses. Working for Maddie has helped me come to the realisation that I do want to train, within the next 10 years.

From a practical point, it would be much easier for me to do that over here. I can rent stables on the racetrack and work my horses on the track. There is a much bigger emphasis on syndicates in Australia, so it is easier to get people involved. I’d love to come back home and train in Ireland one day but I know that I have to start off here. I need to prove to myself that I can do it; that I can be successful and make a living from training. If I succeed at that, I would definitely see myself coming home to try make a similar go of things.

Mia Kavanagh was in conversation with John O’Riordan.