AFTER a relatively successful career as a jump jockey in Britain, I relocated to America in 2024. Having reached a stage where I was in danger of becoming a journeyman, I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a rebirth over here. I’ve ridden 45 winners since I came over, including six Grade 1 winners.

Last weekend that almost became seven when Swore was beaten by just a neck in the Iroquois Hurdle at Percy Warner Park in Nashville .

There isn’t as much racing here as there is in Britain, but the upside of that is that I get to spend more time with my family.

I’m from Ballingarry, Co Limerick. Lee’s Cross, to be more specific. Billy Lee lived just two minutes back the road from us.

I had no background with horses, but Billy and his family looked after me for years.

I started riding ponies and hunting with them and later they introduced me to the right people, when I started pony racing. Charles Byrnes is no more than five minutes the other side of me and I rode out for him when I was older.

At 16, I went up to RACE, where I did the full course. I was sent out to John Oxx on my placement.

Being a flat yard, it wouldn’t have ever been something I’d have been interested in, but it turned out to be the best thing I ever did.

Different

It was different to anything I had ever seen before, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Sea The Stars was a three-year-old that season and I got to witness him at close quarters. Mr Oxx was a brilliant trainer and a great man to work for.

I never rode in Ireland. A part of me would love to have stayed at home, but circumstances sent me another way.

Danny Barry, who worked for Charles Byrnes at the time, had been an assistant to Gordon Richards years before. He said that he could get me a job with Nicky Richards if I wanted it.

Charles said that he’d have liked to keep me there, but he didn’t have the opportunities for a young fella. I went over to Nicky Richards at 16 and spent two years with him.

I didn’t ride a winner, but he was very good to me. Nicky is a great man to bring young lads along and I learned so much from him.

Close friends

To this day, I’d tell people it was the best place that I ever worked. I’d still be close friends with him after all the years.

Maurice Barnes was another trainer who was very good to me. I went to work for him after leaving Nicky.

I rode my first winner for Maurice, Lets Go Girl at Market Rasen, in August 2011. Although I was only a claimer at the time, I rode the majority of his horses.

I spent a couple of years with Maurice before moving up to Scotland, where I was with Nick Alexander for a short time before finding my way to Lucinda Russell.

I was there for six years. In all, I rode over 120 winners in Britain. Apple Away was the obvious highlight, winning the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in 2023.

That same year, I rode Giovinco to win a listed race at Perth.

I would say that he was one of the best horses that I ever rode. Unfortunately, he was fatally injured at Aintree the following year.

Ahoy Senor was another good horse who I rode. I never won on him but we finished fourth in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

Stateside

From 2023, I had been going out to America in the off-season. The year Apple Away won at Aintree, I met the American owners of Cape Gentleman. They knew the man that I was going out to and we struck up a friendship.

They encouraged me to give it a go. I stayed for a month, rode a few winners, then returned for another stint with Lucinda. With Giovinco gone in 2024, I felt that I had no real reason to stay around.

I felt he was a horse who could take me to the next level but, without him, I was in danger of becoming a journeyman jockey.

Having discussed it with my wife Lauren, we decided to bite the bullet and come out here. I am based with Keri Brion, a lady who will be well-known to those who follow racing closely.

Keri trained in Ireland for a short time during Covid and sent out a winner or two. Keri, who is based in Maryland, now has a dual-purpose yard of both jumpers and flat horses.

Second home

It’s like a home away from home out here. Like anywhere you go throughout the world, you will find Irish people working with horses.

There are lots of English jockeys based over here now. I’d say most of the lads I ride against at the moment, I would probably have ridden against in Britain at one time or another.

I’m really enjoying riding over here and, thankfully, it’s going very well. Whenever the time comes to retire, I would imagine that Scotland will be home.

We bought a place there a number of years ago and that’s where we’ll return.

It’s a long time since I’ve lived in Ireland now. I used to break in all the horses for Lucinda Russell while I was there and I loved that side of the industry.

I will definitely stay working in racing when I do eventually retire and most likely in the breaking or pre-training side of the game.

Hopefully, I still have another chapter or two to write in my career as a jockey before then.

Stephen was in conversation with John O’Riordan.