WITH Christmas approaching and stormy winter weather more of a feature, the trainee jockey course shifts up a gear as the initial phase of foundation training is now completed and the first group of 13 trainees have begun their work placement in trainers’ yards.

In addition to the solid grounding in riding skills and stable management practices they have gained from our team of instructors over the first term, the class has also been getting a practical introduction to the industry with visits to the Irish National Stud and Kildangan Stud over recent weeks.