WITH the breeze up sales season well underway, I am enjoying the opportunity of working with leading consignor Micky Cleere of M.C. Thoroughbreds.

This is a relatively new experience for me, as up until quite recently I had been employed for the most part as a work rider. The ability to bring young horses along steadily, so that they peak on sales day is an art in itself; something that Micky excels in.

My father worked in Coolmore all his life, so I got a summer job there when I was 16. Basically, I helped out with the mares and foals, taking mares to the covering sheds and the like.

I spent two years at the stud before moving on to work for trainer Edward O’Grady after finishing school.

Initially, I was just mucking out and doing general yard duties but after some time, Mr. O’Grady allowed me to ride the quieter horses.

At first, I was only allowed canter them as part of their warm up before the work riders took over. Having never sat on a horse prior to joining the yard, I had to be taught from scratch.

I was sent up to RACE to undergo a four-week exercise riders’ course before I could ride out with the full string.

Over the next three years, I gradually became more confident, to the point where eventually, I was riding work and schooling horses.

Good horses

I was lucky enough to sit on some very good horses such as The West’s Awake, Kitten Rock, Venezia and Act Of God. The latter was without a doubt my favourite horse in the yard.

In 2021, I started a new job as a work rider for Andrew Slattery. Aside from riding out, I also did a lot of racing for the stable.

One of the highlights was leading up Pineapple Express, a filly who won four races that year and rose through the ratings from a mark of 58 to 98, earning blacktype in the process.

Solene Lilyette, did likewise, going from 73 to 101, that same year. I was lucky enough to accompany that filly to Newmarket for her final start, which came in Group 3 company.

Andrew very kindly nominated me for the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards at the end of the season.

I didn’t reach the final shortlist in my category but it was so nice to feel appreciated for the work I had done.

My next role in racing came as a work rider with Donnacha O’Brien. I spent a few months riding out for him when he first started training.

Yorkshire

An opportunity then arose to move over to Middleham in North Yorkshire to ride out for James Horton. He had just taken out a licence and was looking for experienced staff. James did things very differently to how I had been used to; each of us was assigned a number of horses that we rode out and groomed exclusively.

I know that this is common practice in some of the bigger yards, even here in Ireland but I hadn’t seen it before.

Despite enjoying my time in the UK, I was always a bit homesick so didn’t stay more than a year. After leaving James Horton, I had short stints with both Susan Corbett and Liam Bailey before returning home.

I had known Micky Cleere all my life, as we grew up in the same estate in Killenaule. Earlier this year, I gave him a call to ask if he had any work going, as I knew the breeze up season was just months away.

As soon as he told me that there was a job available, I packed my bags and came back to Ireland. Despite my background being in racing, I had done some breaking with the Slatterys, so wasn’t a novice in that regard. It is something that I really enjoy and get satisfaction from, as it’s all about education.

While the racehorses already know their job, you need to have an element of patience with the breeze up horses; holding onto them that bit longer in order to help them find their feet.

It is a very small team here, with just Micky, his girlfriend Oceane and myself riding out. Mick O’Dwyer, an owner in the yard, comes in to muck out and does the sales with Micky.

We started at the Dubai Sales, then onto the Craven, selling all but one horse, which has since been put into training.

Four horses went over to France ahead of the breeze up sales over there. There are just six horses left ahead of the Goresbridge Sale, including a real nice Camacho colt.

Micky is undoubtedly one of the most talented people I have ever seen work with horses. I learn something new from him every day, as he is great to impart his knowledge.

Hopefully, in a few years, I might be in a position to pinhook a yearling myself or go in on one with someone.

However, for the present, I know that I have more to learn but I am in the right place to do just that. My girlfriend Beth who came over from the UK with me is currently riding out for Fozzy Stack.

Hopefully, I can also go over to Fozzy for the summer once the breeze up sales are finished. Then in October, once the yearlings are back in with Micky, I will go back to him for another season.

Jordan Purtill was in

conversation with

John O’Riordan