MANY congratulations to former Kildare Branch member Charlie O’Dwyer who recorded his first success as an apprentice jockey when, in a driving finish, he landed division two of the concluding mile and a half handicap at Fairyhouse last Friday night on Roses Queen.

The 16-year-old Junior Cert student made most of the running on the Casamento filly who is trained by his father Conor, one of the leading National Hunt jockeys from the late 1980s until his retirement from the saddle in March 2008.

Roses Queen runs in the colours of Charlie’s mother Audrey who featured in these pages last week following her show jumping victory at the Association of Irish Riding Clubs’ annual Festival in Mullingar.

During his days in the Kildare Branch, Charlie rode in three Pony Club races, winning in Fairyhouse on a pony named Bondi Beach. He also competed in IPC one-day events (loving the cross-country phase) and hunter trials. He represented Newbridge College in inter-schools jumping and finished second both on a team and as an individual at Hickstead.

In 2017, Charlie took part in the IPC’s jockey skills training course which finished with him dead-heating in the exhibition race at Naas with Shillelagh member Robbie Jackson who, riding as an amateur, recorded his first point-to-point win in March.