OVER the next three months, I am very excited to be part of a ground-breaking adventure which sees a six-strong team of American National Hunt horses campaigned in Ireland.

The sextet, trained by legendary US Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard, will be attempting to create a piece of history, as no American-trained horse has ever won a jumps race in Ireland.

Personally, it is a great thrill to get to race ride in my home country again, as I only had a few rides before departing for England back in 2011. Both my parents were bookmakers, so I grew up watching racing on television. Being quite a small young lad, I believed that I could make it as a jockey. My dad felt I would struggle. Even now, as a grown man, I still take great delight in proving him wrong! To be fair though, both he and my mam have always been very proud of my achievements. So, to return home to ride, in the year I was crowned US champion jump jockey makes it even more special.

Having hounded my dad to buy me a pony, I then wrote to local trainer Arthur Moore, asking for a weekend job. At the age of 16, I sat on a racehorse for the very first time and then I discovered RACE.

As part of my work experience, I went to Dermot Weld, with whom I subsequently signed on as an apprentice. The late Pat Smullen was stable jockey at the time, so I consider it a great privilege to have ridden work alongside the former champion. In 2010/11, I moved to the UK, as it offered more opportunities.

I struggled with my weight in the flat, often having to lose double figures. It was then I discovered hurdles and overnight everything just changed. I went to work for Nigel Twiston-Davies, becoming very good friends with his sons Willie and Sam. I didn’t get many rides with those two lads ahead of me in the pecking order but I enjoyed the experience and it reawakened by love for the sport. I went on to ride under both codes for Michael Chapman, until a chance meeting in late 2013 saw me begin a new chapter in my life.

Focus on racing

On a rare weekend off, I ventured up to Newmarket for a change of scenery. I got chatting to bloodstock agent Matt Coleman who mentioned something about jumps racing in America – at the time I wasn’t even aware they had National Hunt races out there! At the end of the season, I went over to the US for a trial.

On my very first ride, I won a $25,000 race, on the next, I fell and broke my collarbone! However, after just one ride I had already made up my mind I wanted to go back. So, having come home to secure a visa, I returned to Virginia where I rode for a number of small trainers.

Towards the end of my apprenticeship, I started to pick up a few rides for Jonathan Sheppard, the leading jumps trainer in America. Initially, I rode horses that weren’t the most straightforward or best of jumpers but this season I found myself on some of the better horses.

I made a conscious decision to devote all my attention to race riding. For the previous three years, I had also trained, holding a 20% strike rate under both codes. However, I felt that while I could always be a trainer, I couldn’t be a jump jockey my whole life. In hindsight, it proved to be the best decision I ever made, as I ended 2020 as champion jumps jockey in the US. One winner behind going into the final meeting, I rode a four-timer to win the championship by three. Due to the Covid-19, our season was considerably shortened so most horses only ran three or four times. From the moment the plan to ship runners to Ireland for a winter campaign was first mooted, our owners have been incredibly supportive.

Much will depend on how the horses handle the softer winter ground than in the US. At the moment, they are training on Wexford sand, under the watchful eye of assistant trainer Keri Brion. Our first runner will be at Limerick on December 28th in a novice hurdle.

Winston C, our next competitor will run at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve. A dual Grade 1 winner in America, he could end up in the Champion Hurdle or one of the lesser races, depending on how he fares at the Co Kildare track. French Light, is an exciting young novice who I feel could be competitive in Ireland. He’s one I’m looking forward to.

We have a race pencilled in for him at Cork early in the new year. We also have a bumper horse, a point-to-pointer and a Grade 3 hurdler – as I said, a mixture of everything!

Hopefully I can also pick up some spare rides from outside yards. Despite being US Champion Jockey and riding over 100 winners, HRI only recognises 56 of those, meaning I can ride with a 3lb claim until I ride four more winners.

The intention is to return home in early March but Cheltenham remains the dream. Should we have anything good enough to compete, I may find myself delaying my return a couple of weeks.

Gerard Galligan was in conversation with John O’Riordan.