MY journey to joining the Godolphin Flying Start programme began in November 2020 when I started putting together my application. It was a challenging process, and I was forced to reflect on my career history and aims, with my foremost thought being: “These guys won’t want me, I’m too old by now and there’ll be loads better qualified than I am.”

I sat at my kitchen table wracking my brains trying to find the appropriate words to answer some searching questions and put together a cover letter and CV that justified the paper it was written on. What did I learn from experience X? “I don’t know, it was three years ago!” What skills can I bring to Godolphin Flying Start? “I’m pretty quick at mucking out, and I can ride does that count?” and the dreaded where do you see yourself in five years’ time? “If I knew the answer to that one mate, I’d be clairvoyant!”