EARLIER this week, I graduated with an MBA in the Thoroughbred Horseracing Industries from the University of Liverpool. It was the culmination of two years hard work, during which time I also lectured at Hartpury University, as well as riding out for Fergal O’Brien. I was thrilled to also receive the student of the year award, an accolade that came as a pleasant surprise

According to my father, it all started when he bought me a rocking horse when I was just two years old. It just spiralled from there really - I got a pony when I was old enough and later did a lot of hunting with the North Kerry Harriers. In my early teens, I spent my summers in Ballybunion, working at a pony trekking centre owned by Marie and Padraig Murphy. Then, in my final two years in secondary school, I rode out for a local trainer Padraig O’Connor at weekends.

As many others will tell you, once you sit on a racehorse there is no going back; that was certainly the case with me. Following school, I felt that Kildare was the centre of the racing industry. So, I attended St Patricks College (now Pipers Hill) in Naas, to study equine and business studies. As part of the programme, we had to spend three days a week in college and two on work experience. Initially, I spent a year at Oak Lodge Stud, before going on to work for Gordon Elliott in my second year. I then spent six months full-time with Gordon before getting accepted onto the Irish National Stud (INS) thoroughbred breeding course in 2007.

Aintree

While still on the INS course, I received a call from Gordon Elliott, asking if I would take Silver Birch to that year’s Grand National (2007). As everyone knows, that horse went on to win the Aintree feature, crediting Gordon with a monumental success before he had even trained a winner back home! I have to thank those at the INS for allowing me the weekend off to be part of such an incredible occasion. On reflection, I cannot speak highly enough of the course itself, as it opened up so many doors for me.

I feel that I became more confident as an individual and met lifelong friends along the way. Wherever I have travelled in the world since, I will always find a familiar face from my time at the INS. Upon completionof the course there, I was fortunate enough to win the John Durkan Award in 2007, which afforded me the opportunity to spend six months as pupil assistant to Brian Meehan in Britain. John Durkan had completed the course himself in 1984 and the scholarship is offered to a student passionate about horse racing each year following graduation. I was honoured to receive the award in memory of such a brilliant man whose bright training career was unfortunately cut short due to leukaemia.

After completing the scholarship, I returned to Ireland, spending the next couple of years working full-time with Gordon (Elliott). I took out an amateur licence and rode in point-to-points, including two wins on Dublin Hunter, whom Gordon Elliott very kindly allowed me train myself from the yard.

I always had an interest in travelling in order to gain an understanding about how racehorse training differs abroad. In 2009, I completed a stint in the US, working for Hall of Fame winning jumps trainer, Janet Elliott. Following this I worked for a few months in New Zealand before arriving in Australia, where I spent a few years working as an assistant trainer to Jon O’Connor in Adelaide.

I really enjoyed my time away but in 2014 I decided that I would rather live closer to home and took up a position running Jamie Osborne’s two-year-old yard. Jimmy McCarthy was assistant trainer there at the time; I learned so much from both Jimmy and Jamie who are both very talented horsemen and it was an exciting time to be there as Toast Of New York was in his prime.

Challenge

In 2017, I noticed that the University of Liverpool was offering a part-time MBA specialising in the horse racing industry and I decided it was time for a new type of challenge! Around the same time, the opportunity to lecture at Hartpury University presented itself. The university introduced two new degrees, namely; BA International Horseracing Business and BSc Racehorse Performance and Rehabilitation.

I am entering my third year teaching on the degrees and we will have our very first graduates in 2020. Managing studying while working can be testing. I managed to keep myself sane by riding out for Fergal O’Brien whenever possible and I still ride for him three mornings a week. He is a great guy and I am delighted that he is having such great success at the moment.

My longterm goal is to continue to work in the horse racing industry and I hope to move back home to Ireland at some point in the not so distant future. I feel very blessed to have made a career out of my passion so far and feel that working in the horse racing industry brings many opportunities to travel and meet some fantastic people along the way.

Fiona Dowling was in conversation with John O’Riordan