Tony Ellis from Clondalkin, Abbie Hilliard from Finglas, Luke Byrne from Lucan, Innis Marquez from Tallaght and Emma Byrne from Bayside were among the 26 young people who recently graduated from the Trainee Jockey programme at the Racing Academy & Centre of Education (RACE) in Kildare and will be taking up employment in the industry shortly.
The group successfully completed a ten-month residential programme which combined practical instruction, work placement and classroom modules in a QQI Level 4 award in Horsemanship. Modules included Communications, Information Technology, Business Calculations, Workplace Safety, Health Related Fitness, Stable and Yard Routine plus Racehorse Care and Exercise. They were presented with their certificates at a prize-giving ceremony on the Kildare campus. The trainees completed work placements with racehorse trainers Aidan Howard, Tracey Collins, Dermot Weld and Ross O’Sullivan in Kildare and all are now proceeding to full-time employment and will be progressing their careers while remaining resident at the RACE campus.
