FOR National Hunt trainers in this country, it doesn’t get much bigger than the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown. So, to get a winner on St Stephen’s Day was special, as I have held my licence just a little over a year. Cedarwood Road, the horse that put me on the scoresheet, is an exciting young hurdler who I have high hopes for.

Hurling and horses were my two big passions growing up. Both my father and uncle hurled for Clare, while my aunts played camogie.

Ponies have been in our family for generations; my mother’s side bought and sold them on a small scale. I followed my grandfather everywhere as a child. I learned how to break and school young horses, which we later sold at Goresbridge sales or privately. That love of working with young horses has remained with me to the present day.

I met the trainer Pat Lynch at an Ennis horse mart one afternoon and he asked me to come in and ride out for him. Pat and his brother John are two of the best horsemen I ever met; they taught me how to do everything right from an early age. Derek O’Connor started out with the brothers before going on to huge success as a jockey.

I went in to their yard every Saturday, as well as on holidays. After leaving school at 16, I served my time as a carpenter, while continuing to ride out whenever possible. However, my love for horses eventually took over and I gave up the trade and went working full-time with Pat (Lynch).

After some time, Pat suggested that I should move on to gain further experience so he kindly arranged for me to go up to Martin Brassil on the Curragh. I spent a very educational 12 months with the latter trainer and even to this day I still ring him for advice. I later returned to Clare to work for his brother Michael. Michael had five horses to run in point-to-points and I was keen to ride them.

During the one season I spent in the yard I won on four of the five horses that we sent out in points. Even as far back as when I worked as a carpenter, I had always kept a couple of breakers at home. After leaving Michael Brassil, I had planned to go work for François Cottin in France but broke my leg in a fall, so that adventure had to be abandoned.

Instead, I threw myself into the pre-training business, renting a yard from Pat Lynch and working out of there. When my leg was healed, I worked three morning a week part-time for Enda Bolger, then did my own horses in the afternoons. After two years with the dual roles, I went full-time with Enda for another 12 months.

Some of the highlights of my time in the yard were getting to travel to Cheltenham with horses such Garde Champetre, L’Ami and Heads Onthe Ground. Enda was a massive influence on my career and I see myself training in a very similar fashion to him. He has incredible patience with young horses, giving them time to develop and mature.

I returned to pre-training after leaving Enda’s, keeping seven horses of my own as well as holding down a part-time job with John Costello. I trained and rode plenty of winners during that time, including Gallant Oscar. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I still needed further experience, so through the guidance of John Costello, I secured a summer job with Jim Bolger. However, a couple of months turned into two years and I worked my way up to running a 30-horse barn for Jim.

New position

It was only after seeing an ad for a pre-training manager/assistant trainer role in The Irish Field that I decided to move on from Coolcullen. Jim (Bolger) very kindly gave me a glowing reference which helped me secure the position with leading owner Chris Jones.

I started off pre-training while also acting as assistant to Andy Lynch. At the same time, I sent out Home Farm and Roundstone to win their point-to-points for Chris. The latter has been a huge supporter of mine from the outset and pushed me to take out my licence. Both himself and his family have a real passion for racing and we are lucky to have them in the sport.

Sidetracked was my first winner under rules as a trainer when successful at Clonmel last January. Less than a year later, Cedarwood Road crowned a fantastic 12 months when easily winning his maiden hurdle over Christmas. He has always impressed me as a nice horse, ever since the very first day I sat on him. He is a big chasing type who has already schooled over fences as we had originally planned to go point-to-pointing with him. His progress over hurdles has really excited me as I know just what he is capable of over fences.

We are going to take baby steps with the horse this year, giving him every chance to deliver on his full potential. He will most likely be aimed at a listed hurdle at Punchestown on February 9th. While he is the undoubted stable star, I have six others riding out at the moment.

We have pre-trainers for both Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead, as well as five store horses for the sales. In this business you are nothing without a team and I am very lucky to have a brilliant yardman in Anthony McMahon, work rider Ben Harvey and two of the best girls in the industry, namely Rebecca Traynor and Roisin O’Scanlon.

Gearóid O’Loughlin was in conversation with John O’Riordan