I RODE my first winner of the year on Al Najashi at Lingfield earlier this month. Having only come back from Dubai the previous week, it was great to get off the mark so early in 2026. Havachoc then made it two when winning at Newcastle last Sunday.

Although I’m not one for setting targets, I would hope to at least double last year’s tally of six winners and anything after that would be an added bonus. I don’t mind travelling the length and breadth of the country; I actually get a great kick out of doing that in search of winners.

You could say that I was born into racing. My dad, Trevor, was a well-known National Hunt jockey. He won a Galway Plate on Life Of A Lord and landed his biggest win on Klairon Davis in the Grade 1 Jameson Gold Cup Hurdle at Punchestown.

After retiring, he tipped away at home with point-to-pointers. I always remember when I was about five or six, people said that the Celtic Tiger stopped roaring. After that, the yard emptied almost overnight and Dad just kept a few of his own horses.

I learned to ride at home on ponies that were handed down from my cousins. My mom, Breda, is a Crowley, so we are first cousins with Joseph, Sarah, Donnacha and Ana (O’Brien). Although they are a few years older than us, we would have hung around with them a bit over the years and, they were always great to learn off.

My brother Hugh rides both over jumps and on the flat in Ireland. We would be close and we ring each other up for advice and a chat all the time.

My idol

I would have to say that both my parents are my biggest inspirations. My late uncle, Pat Smullen, would have been my idol as a jockey when I was growing up. He was always great for help and advice.

I did a small bit of showjumping when I was young but never did pony racing. It would have been all football and hurling for me until my early teens. When I got older and the boys around me got bigger, I turned to racing then. To be fair, it was never forced on me. I came to it in my own time and, I have never looked back.

Around 14, I started riding out in Joseph’s at weekends and school holidays. I left school in fourth year and became apprenticed to him. Although I had the date to get my licence, I broke my shin and then Covid hit. In the end, I was nearly 18 when I finally got it.

I had my first ride for Joseph in a Roscommon maiden in late 2021. Brendan Powell brought me racing that day. I walked the track with Mikey Sheehy. It all just felt unreal and so exciting.

I rode my first winner on my seventh ride; First Blood at Dundalk in January 2022. It was really special to get it for Joseph. I thought back to my dad riding winners for my grandfather when he also trained on the hill.

Both dad and my uncles, Pat Smullen and Kevin O’Ryan, would also have ridden winners for my grandfather, as did Aidan (O’Brien), Frances (Crowley) and Annemarie (O’Brien). It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders once I had done likewise.

"I can't speak highly enough of the Slattery's," Cian Horgan, pictured with Andy Slattery \ Healy Racing

Next step

Shortly after riding that winner for Joseph, I went down to Andy Slattery. There would have been about eight jockeys in Joseph’s at the time and with me being impatient, I decided that I should move on.

I can’t speak highly enough of the Slatterys. From the day I arrived, to the day I left, they never stopped giving me rides. I had five winners in 2022, with three of those being for them. Andy, Willie, Brian and Francis are just top, top men. I received the best education that I could possibly have got.

My final three rides for Andy before I came over to England were two winners and a second. I rode plenty of horses during my first year with Andy, including picking up a lot of spares. Although many of those weren’t any good, I was gaining in terms of experience all that time. I made plenty of mistakes too but I like to think that I learned from those.

My second year was a lot better. I rode nine winners, including three on Khafaaq and a Galway winner on Bells On Her Toes. Halfway through 2024, things just started to dry up. I couldn’t get on a winner and I couldn’t pick up an outside ride.

When I finally landed one for Andrew at Navan one day, I found that I didn’t even enjoy it. I had gone racing myself that day. After putting diesel in the car and having a bite to eat, I was barely breaking even. I just couldn’t make it pay in Ireland anymore.

Greener pastures

I had discussed the prospect of moving to England with my parents. I spoke to a few lads in weighing room and they more or less confirmed what I already knew. In July, I went over to Kempton to ride two horses for Henrietta Knight. That opportunity came about through Brendan Powell and I found that I really enjoyed the experience.

At the end of December 2024, I made the move over to David O’Meara. I got the ball rolling early on with a winner for Liam Bailey in Catterick.

I used the break as a proper chance to prepare for the year ahead.

He was very good to me and I rode two further winners for him last year. I also rode one for Peter Niven and two for David.

I rode my sixth winner of the year at Ripon in July but for some reason after that it just slowed down. I didn’t ride another winner all season. I went out to Dubai on December 17th. It was a brilliant experience. It also gave me a chance to rest my mind and refocus. I used the break as a proper chance to prepare for the year ahead.

I came back to England on January 31st. I would have known trainer Ollie Sangster since he spent a year with Joseph before taking out his own licence. Any time I see that he has a runner in an apprentice race, I get my agent Niall Hannity to ring up for the ride.

When I saw that he had Al Najashi entered in Lingfield I put my name forward. Al Najashi was an odds-on favourite and won very easily. Thanks to Ollie and the owners for giving me the chance.

Trainer Pat Morris has been a great supporter since I came over to England, so I was delighted to get a winner for him on Havachoc last weekend. He looked to win with a bit in hand and, must have every chance of following up.

Cian was in conversation with John O’Riordan