THE Thoroughbred Trail is an annual event that allows racing enthusiasts to visit some of the Curragh’s most famous racing yards on the second day of Irish Champions Weekend.

It proved difficult to choose just one of the 10 Trail options. I picked Trail 2, which entailed a visit to Michael O’Callaghan’s Crotanstown Stables, Richard Brabazon’s training and pre-training yard Rangers Lodge and a very informative visit to the RACE Academy and the Irish School of Farriery.

First on the agenda was Crotanstown Stables. We were greeted at the gate by three charming yard dogs, a sheep dog named Floss, a greyhound and a very well-fed Labrador! Michael O’Callaghan was warm, welcoming and, above all, great craic. He welcomed each person individually while telling the crowd some of the history of Crotanstown.

With 35 boxes the yard is laid out in a classic style with a courtyard to the front and a large, open, modern-style yard at the rear. The tour commenced in the front yard where all the fillies are stabled.

The tack room was the next port of call. Here Michael talked about how much of racing is antiquated. However, slowly it is moving into the 21st century.

He explained his use of heart monitors and passed around a girth sleeve to explain how this is used. The centre of the tack room was filled by an exercise machine or riding simulator. Michael explained his riders use this to improve technique, strength and conditioning, and for keeping fit.

Michael gave me the opportunity to be the student jockey for the day and taught me how to balance on the machine, much to everyone else’s amusement. I think the gym will be visited before I go near any poor thoroughbred’s back!

The back yard was our last stop. I struck up a friendship with Aggression - a striking dark bay gelding. Despite Michael explaining the reason behind the specifically chosen name, I instantly fell in love, which led to Michael joking that I was making him look bad!

I was intrigued at how close the yards were located to one another. On to the bus and off again. Richard Brabazon’s yard, location number two.

Like most yards surrounding the Curragh, Rangers Lodge is steeped in racing history. The yard was purchased by Richard’s grandfather in 1927 and has remained in the family ever since.

He explained he holds a restricted licence but that pre-training was his main focus. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a natural horsemanship approach taken by Richard and his staff. He seemed a big Monty Roberts supporter - which I admired. He explained Monty Roberts’ main principles to the group and how the horse is a flight animal so its natural instinct is to run.

He pointed out that one should never look a horse directly in the eye. “Remember, never look a horse directly in the eye as you are then seen as predator. As a racehorse trainer you want the opposite of that.”

Richard talked the crowd through the breaking process of a racehorse. He used an older horse to demonstrate. Korbous, a striking eight-year-old liver chesnut, happily played his acting role as a youngster and decided he didn’t want to demonstrate how the stalls operated, much to everyone’s amusement bar Richard!”

Once the demonstration ceased, Richard and his staff gifted the Trail guests with tea and snacks, a kind gesture to finish the tour. He also had a bucket of horseshoes and encouraged each person to take one home. Mine now sits above my bed, upright of course to keep in the luck and the information I gained from this knowledgeable racing legend.

The School of Farriery and RACE Academy were the final destination of Trail 2. An attractive campus developed at the edge of the Curragh plains, RACE Academy was established in 1973, and when it first advertised for students their requirements were posed in the question; ‘are you under five foot and less than six stone?’

RACE has grown to become world-renowned as a centre of excellence for the racing industry and has a list as long as the Curragh grounds itself of successful graduates. I think that any young person with an interest in pursuing a career in racing should consider attending RACE.

The Irish School of Farriery was included in the visit to the campus. My grandfather traded as a blacksmith. Sadly he passed away before I was born but I always thank him for passing on the passionate equine gene and felt he too would have loved to hear the farriers talk so passionately about their work and teachings of correct methods of shoeing.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience on the Thoroughbred Trail. I would 100% recommend it for any racing enthusiast, animal lover or anybody with an equine interest.