EARLIER this month, I received the overall prize for having the most best turned out horses at the Listowel Harvest Festival. It was an award I was delighted to receive, as I particularly pride myself on having our horses looking well on race days.

Although I am a qualified teacher, horses have always been my first love and continue to be so. My Dad (John Patrick Ryan) has been a trainer all of my life so I was born into a racing household.

I learned how to ride around the age of four or five and competed in all events up through the grades.

My sister Gillian and I won the team chases at Punchestown and Tattersalls on a couple of occasions and later went on to ride on the track. Although my own career was cut short through injury, Gillian is currently riding as an amateur. I had my introduction to riding under rules, in a Sligo bumper, just a few days before I sat my Junior Certificate.

Before that I had already rode in point-to-points for my Dad. Later, in my Leaving Certificate year, I rode two winners, before a bad fall in Mallow all but ended my time in the saddle. I did make a brief return but another injury obtained while schooling finally put paid to my riding career.

EDUCATION

Dad was adamant that I should receive a proper education so I went to UL after finishing in secondary school. I was still suffering the ill effects of that latter fall, so turned up for my first day on crutches. After completing my four-year degree, I qualified to teach science and maths but in truth, I never had any real desire to do so.

We were just starting to get busy at home when I graduated - 15/16 horses in training at the time. Foildubh was the stable star in those days; the flagship horse that really brought us to the next level. He won 10 times, including a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse, the Guinness Handicap Chase at Punchestown and Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse and was also third in Grade 1 company (Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown).

Following on from his success, our numbers gradually rose to such a point that we now have 42 horses in (breakers/point-to-pointers and track). This season we have enjoyed some great success with Kilcarry Bridge who has won two Grade B handicaps at Gowran Park and Killarney, as well as the Mayo National at Ballinrobe.

Presenting Mahler and Icantsay also gave us a great thrill when providing the yard with a double at Listowel recently.

EARLY START

I am in work every morning at 6am (sometimes 5am on race days); where my first task is to feed the horses, before putting them on the walker, mucking out, tacking up and riding out. Depending on how busy we are I could ride anything from six to eight lots in a morning. I look after the likes of Kylecrue, Kilcarry Bridge, Draycott Place, Presenting Mahler and Icantsay – I steal all the good ones!

I always want my horse to look it’s best when it goes racing, so I will come in early if needs be. Obviously it is great to get the recognition that comes with winning best turned out on raceday but that is just a bonus. Dad always told us that no matter what we do in life we should aim to be the best at it. Even if we can’t be the best, then we should be able to say that we gave it our best shot. It is a motto that I try and live by at all times.

I really love doing up my horses, seeing the transformation in them, before and after. It is particularly difficult this time of year as many of them are out in the fields so can be covered in clay. There is no shortcut to getting them ready, it takes plenty of time and effort. On a busy day I will start work early and plait them before we go racing but on an easy day I may just do that at the track.

Listowel was particularly difficult as we had a couple of runners each day (including two in the one race on first day). Thankfully the hard work paid off and I was awarded the overall prize.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Ours is a real family affair and I feel guilty earning the plaudits. Dad deserves most of the credit for having the horses so fit and healthy. In fairness, if a horse isn’t well in himself, it doesn’t matter how many plaits you put into him or how much you brush him. It all goes back to looking after the horses and a fit, well treated, healthy animal will always stand out.

My brother Eoin is also at home and a big part of the team. Gillian has a masters in Chemical and Bio-Pharmaceutical Engineering and works in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Limerick and rides out at the weekends and holidays. My mother Marian looks after the yard and feeds the horses when we are away racing.

I also have a younger sister, Isabelle, who has a huge interest in the horses too and is always out on school holidays and evenings.

She just started first year in the Ursuline convent in Thurles this year. She’s just on her ponies at the moment but I’m sure her time will come. I must also mention jockey Danny Mullins, who has such a great strike rate on our horses. He does very well for us and we are lucky to be able to call on him.

Paul O’Neill and Cathal Landers also ride work most days while Eamonn Corbett and Johnny Barry also call to us a couple of days during the week. Each of these riders are a vital cog in the operation and part of our team.

At the last meeting at Sligo, I also received a prize for having the most best turned out horses throughout the course of their season.

It was a nice honour to get as we love to go racing at that particular track. Hopefully in the coming months and years ahead I can continue to pick up similar prizes – aside from anything else it shows that our horses are fit and healthy!

Deirdre Ryan was in conversation with John O’Riordan