WITH the first chapter of the Godolphin Flying Start programme ending, I must pause to reflect on the welcome shown to me and my fellow non-native trainees in Ireland.

I now understand why Ireland’s pastoral countryside has inspired generations of literary brilliance, and I realise just how fortunate I am to have been granted the opportunity by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and the Godolphin team to take part in Flying Start.

With bikes being our primary mode of transport for the first phase of the programme, I have not wandered far from Kildare, but daily cycles around the beautiful Kildangan Stud have been a form of therapeutic ritual during my time here.

Passing the leafy, tree-shadowed corridor into the clearing of Brookfield Yard, a personal highlight of my Kildangan residency has been my time working there with the yearlings.

Having the opportunity to work with some of the finest horses in the world is an unparalleled experience, and discovering their personalities, quirks, and ability is truly rewarding.

I have a paint horse back in Massachusetts with a striking, huge white blaze, and when we trekked to the paddocks to take the colts into their stalls back in September, his Irish reincarnation greeted me at the fence.

I’m not a big believer in love at first sight, but I was smitten with the big, dark brown son of Oasis Dream, out of 1.4 million guineas purchase Short Skirt.

Each trainee is assigned two yearlings to break, Short Skirt was allocated to me, and teaching him how to lunge and drive was a massive contribution to my experience in Ireland – I cannot wait to see him debut on the racetrack next year, as being just a small part of the process has been riveting.

I have learned so much during this experience, and I cannot thank the Godolphin staff enough, as they had the patience to take the time to thoroughly teach us the process.

Outside of the yards, I won’t bore readers with the standard summary of our numerous assignments, lectures, and exams – that has all been covered in articles written by trainees in the past. Instead, I’d like to mention some of the other highlights.

TEAMWORK

The idea of 12 unique individuals united with one common, prevailing interest – the thoroughbred – living together for two years can be a bit daunting.

Luckily, I can confidently say that the group dynamic is excellent.

Each person has an area of expertise, and every person is more than willing to assist one another in their various fields of interest. Living in four houses, two sets of two, two of four, gives the Flying Start a university feeling, and collectively we create our own strong support system, and form a cohesive team, and an incredible group of friends.

GLENDALOUGH VISIT

We have had our fair share of adventure. My fellow trainees from the Brookfield team wandered one day to Glendalough, which was an exhilarating experience.

The weather wasn’t necessarily cooperative, as high winds and a grey sky greeted us upon arrival. The view was beautiful, as the lake resembled an ocean nestled between two mountains, and the gales caused wave formation to occur, the waters much rougher than any lake I had experienced in the United States.

The hike was daunting, but the sights made it worthwhile. We trekked up the nooks and cranny of the mountainside, and then a descent into a forest that resembled a Game of Thrones scene – old and full of secrets.

The whole ordeal took about four hours and we finished with a lovely late lunch in Wicklow at the Lighthouse Restaurant, where I had one of the best meals I’ve had in quite a long while.

INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

We ended the Irish phase with the Irish Industry Conference, where we tackled the idea of how the auction process and style of selling horses in Ireland benefits auction houses, purchasers, and consignors, and how it could be improved.

After a week at the brilliant Goffs Orby Sale, shadowing agents that we were paired with back in September, mine being Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland, who was an excellent teacher and imparter of knowledge, I had a better feel for Irish auctions.

The group came together for a well-received presentation, and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. The following day, we departed for Newmarket, where the next phase of the journey begins.

For more information see godolphinflyingstart.com