I SUPPOSE I have been around horses from the get-go. I probably was riding a pony before I could run. Mam (Annie) and Dad (Jarlath ‘Foxy’) were both amateurs and my grandfathers on both sides trained.

My dad’s dad trained pony racers and my mam’s dad (Michael Croke) always had National Hunt horses and pointers. I learned to ride on ponies at home. Hunting, pony club, side saddle; anything to do with horses we were thrown at it. I also evented with the Tipperary Pony Club.

In secondary school, I started doing a couple of Eventing Ireland events. I was very lucky to ride a horse called Castlequarter Rambo. Julia Crowe owned that horse and she was going away studying veterinary, so she was looking for someone to compete her horse.

I got selected for the Irish team to go to the European Junior Championship in Hartpury (England) in 2023. I got selected again in 2024 for the Junior squad that went to Rome. I was 16 or 17 at the time.

As I was eventing, Castlequarter Rambo was a bit keen and I probably wasn’t strong enough. Mam and Dad thought riding out would help strengthen me up. During transition year, I started riding out for Mouse Morris. It was something I had always wanted to do. I caught the bug fairly quick.

I knew from my first day riding out that this was what I wanted to do. I loved the racing side of it. At the start of sixth year, Castlequarter Rambo came home from Italy and we decided to retire him from competing at that high level.

Riding out before school

Dad had worked in Ballydoyle for 23 years and he had just moved to Josh and John Halley. Their yard is only around the corner from my school. I was going in with Dad before school riding out two lots every morning. After I finished my Leaving Cert, I took out my amateur licence and went to work for Josh.

I only had my licence a short time before I had my first ride on the racecourse, on Kaleo Ametsa in a Punchestown bumper in December 2024. The following February I had my first ride in a point-to-point on Charles The Bold at Lisronagh. I also gained great experience riding work for Josh in Lawlor’s and at Tipperary.

My first winner came very early. I won on Lucy Wang at Turtulla in November 2025. That was only my fifth ride in a point. Looking back, I had been knocking on the door on my first few rides but I was a small bit impatient.

Earlier this year in March, I won the Gain Mares Final at Ballynoe on Lucy Wang. That race is like the Gold Cup for the point-to-point mares and I was the first lady rider to win it. Lucy Wang was massive to my career starting off. She was a very straightforward mare and safe as a bus to jump.

I spent two days last season in Pat Doyle’s. During that time, I worked with Julie Burke. She had got in contact with me before the lady riders bumper in Killarney in July to see if I had a spin. Her brother John was running Farney Bridge. Julie was very good to keep me in mind and Farney Bridge ended up giving me a first ever winner on the racecourse. They have been great to me. I rode a horse called Tell Me See for them at Listowel last month and that ran into the money as well. The Burkes are a small family-run operation and when they have a good one they know.

Winning on Whimsy

On Sunday, I rode my first winner on the flat when Whimsy won the lady riders handicap at the Curragh. Since I started my career, Aine O’Connor has been unreal. I’d say nearly 80%t of my outside rides have come through Aine putting my name forward.

Even when I went over to ride in the ladies race in York earlier in the year, it was Aine who got me the ride. She has really thrown my name forward at any opportunity. Aine had ridden work on Whimsy for Anthony McCann earlier in the week and she thought the mare would be hard to beat.

She obviously had to ride J.P. McManus’ horse in the race, but when Anthony asked her to find someone for the mare, she kindly recommended me.

The race itself went to plan. Whimsy was grand away out of the stalls and I got my position early on. I thought they were going a bit hard in front, so I was happy to sit off them and bide my time. The instructions were very clear and straightforward.

Late delivery

Anthony just said to come with a delayed run and try deliver her as late as possible. Luckily that’s the way the race panned out for me. Everything went really smoothly. It was only my second ride at the Curragh. I had ridden in the Ladies Derby a few months earlier.

Mam and Dad would have been pretty much reared on the Curragh. Dad rode for the likes of Christy Roche and Mam was up there with Paddy Prendergast. The Curragh is like home to flat racing, so it was great to ride a winner there.

I am based with Sonny Carey two days a week now. I am with Josh Halley the rest of the time. Now that the point-to-point season is getting going, I’ll probably have a day to go somewhere else as well. It’s always been an ambition and a dream of mine to be a jockey.

I’m not afraid to work hard for it. As good as the winners are, there’s loads to improve, tidy up on and get stronger and hopefully it will all come. I’ve been very fortunate with all the support I’ve had. My parents, Josh Halley, Aine O’Connor, the Burkes. Phillip Enright has been great as well. He rode out with me in Halley’s.

Michael Kenneally, who was also there when I first started, is another who has been very helpful with both his time and advice.

Áine was in conversation with John O’Riordan.