Katie O'Farrell Growing up around horses it was probably inevitable that it would be a route that I’d go down but two years ago I made the decision to leave the amateur ranks and turn professional as a 7lbs conditional rider and after a rough six months on the sidelines through injury, now I’m hoping to kick start things as the winter approaches. I remember the week leading into the Punchestown Festival I was so looking forward to the meeting, I was riding out for Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins and as a freelance riding for those kind of trainers you never know what a meeting like Punchestown could throw up. At some stage in the week they might want to claim off something or have a few runners in a race so a nice ride might fall your way. Unfortunately that prospect was shattered on the Monday of Punchestown week though as I got a fall riding out on the gallops at Curraghmore in Waterford. I got dumped off a fresh horse and came down on my ankle and suffered a trimalleolar fracture - I broke my tibia, fibula and my ankle as well as dislocating my ankle - so it was a nasty one. I sort of had to pick my foot off the gallop and bring it with me! Thankfully I got seen by Dr Tadhg O’Sullivan that day, even though he was actually off work, but he came in and operated on me and even that alone saved me about two weeks but the bad news was I was still facing six-months out of action which felt like a lifetime. After the fall it was four months before I actually rode out again but I was still a long time away from getting back to race riding and only for Jack Berry House in England it could have been longer. I spent two weeks there in July and three weeks in August and I just couldn’t believe the care and how well I was looked after over there. My two brothers, James and Conor, know all about the perils of racing and the injuries involved and they were a great help to me when I was out and it was James, who had to stop riding because of injury, that suggested Jack Berry House and there’s every chance if he didn't sow that seed that I’d still be another month away from getting back. Jack Berry House is where I worked hard on all my strength and stability and working on my balance and things like that but they’ve got everything over there, I felt so lucky over there. Between physios, strength and conditioning, the hydropool, it was full on Monday to Friday but it was fantastic. It was just a huge relief to get back at Tramore last week and it was nearly a dream return on Ok Splendid who finished second in the bumper for Mags Mullins and now I’m just concentrating on working hard and trying to be in the right place at the right time. I spent two years working in Ballydoyle for Aidan O’Brien and I felt that really improved my riding but now I’m out on the road and trying to make as many contacts as possible. Every yard has their jockeys and their conditionals and whatever but if you can get the breaks and be in the right place at the right time, you really can get rolling. As a freelance I try to get as many places as possible but at the moment it is mainly between Willie’s, Gordon’s, Joseph O’Brien’s and Mags’. It changes week to week though. Depending on the time of year and who needs you. Obviously looking at what Rachael Blackmore has achieved would give you a huge boost and also a huge desire to want to achieve some similar success. For me at them moment, looking at what she has done is like a dream but I’m determined to get my chances and take them when they come. You also have the likes of Barry Browne and Donie McInerney who are proving the benefit of a valuable 7lbs claim at the moment. There is hardly a meeting goes by when Donie doesn’t ride a winner and he can do no wrong so I’m just hoping for that day where something happens and you can get on a roll. Every claimer wants to be in that position and if you prove yourself good enough to do the job then everybody wants to use you and that is the ultimate goal and what I’ll continue working towards.
