GROWING up in Mountrath, Co Laois, we always had hunters and that. I got my first pony from Vikki Sheeran, a woman I met hunting. When I was 11, I met a man who introduced me to pony racing. It was through the photographer Mel Doyle, that I got to know Tony Beegan in Galway. I was still in primary school at the time. I did five seasons at the pony racing and Tony was very good to me. For the first couple of years, I was only at the pony racing but two years ago, I started riding out for trainer Mark Fahey. Shane Crabbe, who I rode flappers for, introduced me to Mark. Since then, I am in his yard every weekend and when I get time off school and I am also apprenticed to Mark.

Pony racing is a great education and I got plenty of experience. I rode 49 winners in all, including 29 in my final season. I also rode four winners at the big Dingle festival.

I had my first ride on the racecourse on a filly of Mark’s called Elza Diva. That was at Naas just a few days before the Listowel Festival. It was a big difference going into the weigh room and racing against experienced jockeys but also a great experience. We knew that the filly wasn’t really in with much of a chance, so there was no pressure on me. I knew quite a few of the younger lads in the weigh room, so that made it less daunting. Sam Coen, Jimmy Dalton and Patrick McGettigan had all ridden pony racing with me, while I knew Joe (Harnett) from Mark’s. It was definitely a help knowing so many people and I settled in.

Pressure off

It was a brilliant feeling to ride my first winner on Benavente at Dundalk before Christmas. Getting that first one over the line was also important as it took the pressure off a bit. I have never been down in Denis Hogan’s yard but he put me up on a horse of his, Just Jump, earlier in the year. Thankfully, Denis kept giving me rides after that. Both himself and owner James McAuley have been great supporters over the past few months. I rode my first three winners for them; losing my 10lb claim in doing so.

After Benavente won, I had expected things to just keep going as they had been but instead it’s really taken off.

Two more winners for Denis and recently I rode my first winner with a 7lb claim on Dawn Flame for Paul Flynn. That one was an 18/1 outsider and, while Paul expected the horse to run well, it wasn’t strongly fancied. That made it even better when he came out and won.

I’m in sixth year at the moment, so am doing my Leaving Certificate. I want to get that out of the way first, then it’s full steam ahead for the summer. For the next few months, I’m just hoping to improve as a jockey and pick up as many rides as I can. If I can ride more winners that will be an added bonus. Hopefully I can get my name out there and ride for plenty different trainers. Sometime in the future, it would be great to be champion apprentice. My weight is very good at the moment and, I can claim off 7 st 13lbs. If that was to change at any time, I would have no problem going jumping but right now it’s not an issue. I’d hope that I could remain on the flat.

Since I started in pony racing, Colin Keane has always been someone I’ve looked up to. Dylan Browne McMonagle is an inspiration to so many of us. He was still in pony racing when I first started. Seeing how far he has come just makes you want to emulate him one day.

My agent Kevin O’Ryan does a great job. Niall McCullagh in RACE helps me improve my riding style on the simulator. Mark Fahey has been brilliant to me since I started in his yard. My parents Daniel and Nicola have always been brilliant. They drove me all over the place to pony racing.

Lads like Tony Beegan, Shane Crabbe, Ian Worrel and Mikey O’Connor got me going on the ponies and I’ll always be thankful for those opportunities. Hopefully I can repay all their faith in me by riding plenty more winners in the next years. The dream would be to one day be champion jockey but that’s a long way off.

Reese was in conversation with John O’Riordan