RACHAEL O’Callaghan from Mullingar is a very accomplished rider and both her family and her husband’s family have been involved in racing for many years.

Roger, Rachael’s other half, is the son of Tony and Anne O’Callaghan proprietors of Tally Ho Stud, located at Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath and which stands Kodiac, Mehmas, Vadamos, Morpheus, and Zebedee. Roger and his brother Henry have a very active role in managing the stud operations and sales side of the business. Rachael is also very hands-on as she rides out the breeze-up horses at Tally Ho every morning to keep fit and get race ready.

She also hunts regularly with the Westmeath Foxhounds throughout the season. Most notably, Rachael has completed up to two-star level eventing and rode at the 2007 Junior European Eventing Championships in Switzerland. She has one event horse for this summer however, her real highlight will be her Corinthian Challenge conquest which she is very much looking forward to.

In 2009, while living in Australia, Rachael spent nine months riding out for David Hayes at Flemington Racecourse, a superb experience which will certainly stand to her later this year when she races on the track at the Curragh (12 furlongs), Navan (12 furlongs) and Leopardstown (10 furlongs).

Rachael is a qualified physiotherapist who works in rehabilitation, predominantly with patients who have suffered a stroke, neurological illness, amputees, and those who have suffered head injuries.

Through her involvement in racing, the role of Irish Injured Jockeys (IIJ) has been to the forefront of her mind for some time now and she describes the forthcoming Corinthian Challenge Series in aid of IIJ as a “huge honour to contribute to while challenging herself.”

On her fundraising page where you can donate online, Rachael said “I’ve created this page because I want to make a difference. I’m inspired by the work of the Irish Injured Jockeys and wanted to support them by raising money as part of my participation in The Corinthian Challenge.

“The more people that know about Irish Injured Jockeys, the greater their impact, so please also spread the word by sharing my page with your friends and family. Thank you in advance for your generosity, it means a lot!”

Rachael’s fundraising page is at https://the-corinthian-challenge-charity-race-series-2018.everydayhero.com/ie/rachael-o-callaghan.

You can also stay up-to-date on all The Corinthian Challenge news and updates by following Irish Injured Jockeys at @CorinthianChall on Twitter and @CorinthianChallenge on Facebook.