LAST week I sent out my first official runner as a fully-fledged trainer; French Light, who finished second over hurdles at Clonmel.

In my role as assistant trainer, I had been overseeing the six-strong team of legendary handler Jonathan Sheppard since arriving in Ireland before Christmas. With our first two runners both getting in the money, our decision to make the trip across the Atlantic was somewhat vindicated. It had long been the intention for me to take over the licence once Jonathan retired but that news came as something of a shock to all of us when it arrived.

My introduction to racehorses came about through working at a flat yard close to my home. I had learned to ride ponies at a young age but initially started working on the ground at the age of 10. During my high school years, I continued to work in that yard every weekend and holiday, riding out in the mornings.

Even when I received a scholarship for pole vaulting at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, I came back most weekends to work with horses. After eight years in that role, I was starting to burn out a little, perhaps needing a fresh outlook.

That arrived in the shape of Jonathan Sheppard, who I met through a good friend of mine. Soon after, I started riding out in Jonathan’s yard; at a time when he had some high-class flat and National Hunt horses in his care.

Informed Decision had just won at the Breeders’ Cup and was one of the best mares in the country. I had no real experience with steeplechasers, so that side of the sport was all new to me.

Jonathan is quite rightly regarded as one of the best trainers in the world, something that I was fortunate enough to experience first hand. He believed that although they are also athletes, horses should first and foremost be treated as horses. In that regard, he had no hesitation in turning them out in paddocks after exercise despite the fact they could be valued into the millions.

Having transferred college to be closer to home, I studied for a business degree at West Chester University, while continuing to ride out for Jonathan.

I then rode on the track for almost four years, being crowned US Champion Apprentice Jump Jockey in 2017. I remained an amateur throughout that period, although in the US, all jockeys, whether professional or amateur, are considered apprentices until they have won 15 races.

Nashville Festival

As well as riding at the Nashville Festival (our equivalent of Cheltenham), I also got to race-ride at Saratoga. In 2019, I retired from the saddle after suffering a fall. The injuries I received weren’t that serious but by then I had taken on more responsibly at Jonathan’s yard, so it just seemed the right time for me.

As assistant trainer, I helped oversee a stable of 60 to 70 horses, reporting back to Jonathan. Over time, I had built up good relationships with the owners, who made it known that they wanted me to take over, if and when Jonathan eventually retired. While I knew it was in the pipeline at some stage in the future, I was as surprised as anyone when Jonathan announced his retirement last week. The horses here in Ireland had been allowed race under his American licence, so what followed were some frantic calls between ourselves and the IHRB before I was granted a licence to continue our European adventure.

The trip to Ireland was first proposed by Mr. Swyer, the owner of Winston C. His horse had been due to compete in a Grade 1 hurdle in September but all such races were cancelled due to the coronavirus. Initially, the idea was floated and nothing more but after a few days he asked again, so I knew he was serious!

Having spoken to some of our other owners, we identified a small team that we felt would be competitive in Europe. It should be noted that these horses were not American bred so had every chance of adapting to the softer conditions of racing in Ireland during winter.

French Light had won his point-to-point on soft ground at Boulta, before being bought to race in America. I believe in the horses we have here but at the same time it’s a great relief to see them prove their worth.

Ambition

The ultimate ambition is to win a race, which would make us the first American yard to send out a jumps race winner in Europe. The first few runners have gone close so hopefully we can achieve our goal before returning home in April. Nearer to spring, the ground will start to dry out, so faster conditions should see our horses perform even better. Armed with the knowledge we have already picked up on this trip, I would love to return to Ireland in the future with an even stronger team of horses.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the media attention our trip has received both here and back home.

It has been great publicity for the sport, particularly in America, where jumps racing wouldn’t be as popular as the flat equivalent. Trainers such as Wesley Ward are well known for shipping horses to the likes of Royal Ascot but very few jumps yards are represented at Cheltenham. Perhaps in the future that may change and if we can achieve a little success it may pave the way.

If there is one downside to our Irish stay, it is the fact that our owners have been unable to watch their horses race. They had been looking forward to coming over to see the horses in the flesh but have had to make do with watching on television. Hopefully if conditions improve before we head home in April, they may yet get to fly over to attend the races. If not, we may just need to start planning a return visit.

Keri Brion was in conversation with John O’Riordan