Erin Dunseath

I'm from a town called Randalstown in Co Antrim and I grew up with horses all my life. My dad had horses and then my sister Megan rode when she was younger. She was out in Australia for a few years and was the first female to win a jumps race at the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival aboard Lord Pierro in 2022. I followed in their footsteps - it was hunting and pony club when I was growing up.

I started off at Ian Fergusons yard; he was only 20 minutes away from me and Megan worked in the yard at the time. I started there on Saturday mornings and rode an odd horse, mucked out, and generally learnt about racing. Ian was a great man to learn from, and I even went on to do sales work for him. I saw another side of racing through that. My first point-to-point ride was at Farmacaffley in February 2022 for Jamie Sloan. Jamie worked in Ian's yard when I started there and then took over the yard. I worked alongside him.

I've ridden two point-to-point winners and they both came for Gerald Quinn. The first one was actually on my own horse, Mountorra, at Portrush in October 2023. It was definitely a very special day. He was a lucky horse for me. It is a day that can't be topped at the minute! You just get the bug from that first winner. The adrenaline just kicked in, and I couldn't believe it really. It was one of the home point-to-points, so I had a lot of family and friends there. My other winner was on another home track at Toomebridge aboard Kells And Connor a couple of years ago. Gerald is a brilliant trainer, to be fair. He has a good eye for a horse, and he is really on a winning streak (six point-to-point winners since the start of October).

I was based with Gerald and Philip McBurney in Ballymena, Co Antrim for two years full-time. Sam Wilson would have come up to Philip's at lunchtime and I would have ridden a few horses for him as well. I then decided that I would go to Australia for the summer when we were quiet. That was in 2024. I went out to Shane Jackson and Richie Cully. That's where Megan was based, so I went out there to see their way of training. I rode work and I jumped out of stalls which I had never done in Ireland before. It was a great experience as I hadn't ridden Flat horses until I went to Australia. I was out there for three months in total. It is a different way of living over there and a great life experience.

I moved to Noel Kelly's stable, and he obviously does Flat and jumps. He gave me plenty of opportunities over jumps, so I decided to go conditional in July with the thinking that I might get a few Flat rides as well. Noel, his son Jamie, and I talked over what I should do. I really wanted to race and I wasn't getting opportunities through point-to-points. We thought turning conditional would be the way to go. I'm in with Noel riding out every day. I am open to Flat rides; I did finish second in Dundalk (on Echinacea in a qualified riders' handicap in March). I'm pretty lucky with my weight as it quite low, so I can adjust. I mostly prefer jumping; I'm a jumps girl at heart. I do love the Flat as well, though, it teaches you a different way of racing and how to ride a finish. I was delighted to have four booked rides at the Festival of Racing at Down Royal over the weekend for Noel - two rides on Friday and two on Saturday. Noel has done everything to help me, and I've been very lucky with injuries touch wood. I've recently been sponsored by a company called Armstrong Surfacing Ltd. They came to the yard with a horse and sponsored me. They are a family-run commercial and private surfacing specialist based in Lisburn outside Belfast. It was good to have their sponsorship on my breeches at Down Royal.

I love to race and it is enjoyable, I don't see it as a job as such because I love it that much. You are living a lifestyle. My goal is to get more rides and get my name out there, so I can get winners. I am open to outside rides. Occasionally, I would go over to Gary McGill's yard to give him a hand. Riding alongside Oran and Dara McGill, you would pick up wee bits of advice. I really enjoy working in the Irish racing industry, but I suppose you have to really love horses. It is a tough game and you can't be half-hearted at it, you have to go all in. I would really push people to get into the industry.

Erin was in conversation with Michael Graham.

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About Michael Graham

Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.

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