THERE is plenty of activity on campus as we re-engage with the school year and welcome a new intake of trainees. Having recently completed an exercise rider programme (pictured adjacent), we now have more young residents taking their first steps towards a professional career and rubbing shoulders with some of our recent graduates who are working locally and living on campus while availing of the services and supports.

It makes for a healthy mix of young people all focused on building up their skills and experience towards a sustainable career in racing and hopefully we can guide them successfully in this transition.

Our recent engagement with young riders and their parents at the Dingle pony races (where RACE had a stand with simulator and fitness training) served to once again emphasise the need for training and coaching supports from an early age if our industry is to maximise the returns from young talent.

This weekend we are also hosting our annual jockey skills course for members of the Irish Pony Club and will be assessing candidates for an exhibition race to be held at Naas racecourse on September 30th.

More training development days for point-to-point riders, under the tutelage of Derek O’Connor, will be rolled out in coming months along with schooling preparation courses for amateur riders and there are still places available on these programmes.

Support services for professional jockeys funded by HRI/CARE continue to be delivered from our High Performance Centre and an IT training course for stable staff is due to commence shortly over four evenings for those who would like to gain basic computer skills in a relaxed environment. Enquiries are currently being taken by CARE.

Wide pool of aspiring jockeys broken in

THIS year’s trainee jockey group, which includes 15 girls, are drawn from a wide pool with 12 different counties represented plus our first ever trainee from Croatia. They have just completed their induction process and are settling in to new surroundings as part of the initial 12-week foundation programme on campus.

The daily routine of riding and stable management work in the barn is augmented by a full schedule of classroom work in the afternoons as they work their way through seven QQI modules plus fitness sessions, mental skills development and personal development activities in the evening.

They undergo an intensive fitness and conditioning programme to get them ready for what lies ahead and commence their industry induction by going racing, visiting stud farms and sales events while building up their awareness of the wider industry.

Irish Champions Weekend provides them with the opportunity to sample the excitement of top-class international racing and see the standards to which they should aspire and some will assist with hosting guests on the Thoroughbred Trail on Sunday.

Over the next 10 months they will learn to make demands on themselves in a range of practical areas and push themselves physically and mentally as they seek out a future career in the racing industry.

Hopefully many of them will rise to the challenge and build the necessary qualities which can turn their dreams into reality.

Qualified exercise riders all employed

EIGHT participants graduated at the end of August from the latest HRI/CARE-funded exercise riders’ course and are now in placements or full-time employment at a variety of yards across the country including Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Sarah Lynam and Martin Brassil.

The six-week programme is geared towards candidates who are over 18 and have some equestrian background although not necessarily any experience with racehorses. It has a strong practical focus with a lot of riding instruction and coaching, stable work, horse care and horsemanship skills plus a solid induction to the racing industry, its operation and structures.

It has proved to be an effective way of bringing in and upskilling suitable candidates for careers in racing and providing a solid foundation for employment in yards. It is a scheme that we hope can develop and expand as a means of helping address staffing shortages across the country.

Award allows for further development

AN exciting development is the launch of a QQI level 5 Horsemanship award which has been brought in to tackle a perceived lack of development and progression opportunities within the industry, and is due to be rolled out this week.

Designed to suit those who are currently working in the broader thoroughbred sector (stud and stable staff), this practical programme can be completed in a flexible manner over a two-year cycle and offers a choice of certified modules ranging from equine anatomy and physiology, equine nutrition, horse breeding, horse conformation and evaluation, stable and yard routine and racehorse care and exercise.

It is the first course of its kind to focus on the thoroughbred sector and is already attracting a strong interest. It provides an opportunity for those wanting to improve their practical skills and progress career options.