Patrick McGettigan

I'm from a town called Ballyare just outside Letterkenny in Donegal. I never rode a horse until I was 13 years of age. Just out of pure boredom during Covid-19, I walked up to my uncle's place where he had a few point-to-pointers and different things, and I got up on one and that was it. I've never looked back since then. Donegal is becoming a more popular area for jockeys. Even when you go back home now, you see younger kids going to riding schools, so it is definitely becoming more popular.

Once I learned the basics, a man called Johnny Holian took me on. I used to go to him in the mornings before school and I used to ride in pony races for Adrian Browne who would be Dylan Browne McMonagle's uncle. Every morning before school, I would go down and ride one or two and then go to school and then go back up to the uncle. Then every Sunday we would go off around Ireland. I was very lucky that my parents were very supportive and never questioned why I was going there. That's just how I got going.

From the minute I rode my first horse, all I wanted to do was be a jockey. You ride ponies on the Sunday and then on the following Monday you are mad to get going again. I did pony racing for around two or two and a half years, and I had 25 to 30 winners, and I suppose the highlight would have been riding a Dingle winner (Cali Cartel). It was on the Sunday, Dingle Derby day (August 2023), and it was packed and a great buzz especially for someone who was only 15 at the time.

During the pony racing every Sunday, a few of the videos would go up on Facebook. Johnny Murtagh's assistant at the time, Denis Linehan, saw a video and contacted me to ask if I would go up there for a week. At the back end of 2023, start of 2024, I made the move to Johnny Murtagh's and I've never left. I was lucky that my mother and father let me leave school and gave me the opportunity to go there. My first ride was in the middle of August, and I had my first winner about two weeks later. It was just my fourth ride. I wasn't too long waiting, thankfully. When I passed the post first on King Thistle in a nursery at the Curragh for Johnny, it was a very surreal feeling. Everything goes quiet and you are just in your own head. The fact that it was at the Headquarters of racing made it that little bit more special for me. After that, all you think about is winning and you can't wait to get that feeling back again.

Johnny is unbelievable to learn off. He wouldn't ride out much himself anymore, but he knows, just by looking at you, what you are doing wrong and he will tell you. If you are doing it right, he will praise you. There's never a dull moment in the yard; it is a brilliant place to work. Johnny and his wife, Orla, have been brilliant to me. If you are not racing, you would ride five or six lots out. If you are racing, Johnny would have no issue with letting you go early. Johnny is all for me building my experience. Obviously, I am based on the Curragh, so I would ride a lot of work up here.

I'm proud of all the achievements I've had so far. The first year as an apprentice I rode on Derby day at Epsom and that was quite a surreal feeling as well. I went on to ride 18 winners that year, and I've had 12 so far this year. If I could beat 18, I would be very happy, as long as I am building and progressing. I rode my first double at Down Royal last week and it felt like a long time coming as I got close a few times, but I suppose that would be right up there with my best days in the saddle along with winning the Apprentice Derby on Pillar Of Hope (Curragh, June 25) for Paul Sweeney - that was cool as well! It was brilliant to win the Barney Curley Apprentice Series last year. I didn't actually realise how well I was doing in it until the final meeting in Bellewstown (October) where I had to finish third or better to win it, and thankfully Capital Theory finished third for another Donegal man in Declan McGuigan.

Paul was another trainer I used to ride out a lot for when I was living back home. He has been brilliant and he is after putting in his own set-up up there. Obviously, he would use the beach as well, so we would have done plenty of galloping on the beach. He gets a lot of handicappers and he sweetens them up as they love the beach. He does a fantastic job, and I've had plenty of luck for him so far. I was back home for the weekend not so long ago and I was up seeing his place, and he has done a fantastic job. I go home a few times a year. We have a week off during the Punchestown Festival, so I would maybe go home for that week. Then when the season finishes, I go home for a week and maybe another week at Christmas.

My mum is my number one supporter. She has always had my back from day one. She took me everywhere when I was pony racing. I genuinely couldn't say 'thank you' enough times for all she has done. I'm repaying her by getting a few winners. She won't admit it, but she is afraid of horses, however, she loves the buzz and getting involved. I'm very grateful to be in the position to do what I can do because obviously I left school when I just turned 16. I made a deal that if it didn't work out, I would go back to school and I didn't want to go back, so I had to make sure it worked out! I suppose you wake up every day, and you wonder what you can work on - how you can get a bit fitter or even improve riding out. You're trying to improve any aspect you can. Even your feedback after riding a bit of work, just to be able to elaborate on different things.

I'm not too sure what I'm going to do for the winter. I'm in two minds whether to go to Australia or stay here and keep building contacts at Dundalk. It will be something I will definitely be thinking about in the coming month. Over there, it is all about the clock times of the riding work and you'd come back a bit sharper and a lot more mentally aware, I think. The Irish racing industry is a brilliant place to be. It is something that if you do well, you can make a really good lifestyle out of it. It could take a year, it could take 10 years, but you will get results, I think, if you keep the head down and keep going. I couldn't be happier.

Patrick was in conversation with Michael Graham.

If you would like to see your racing story covered on this blog, please email [email protected]

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.

View Latest Articles by Michael Graham