ARTICLE BY DARREN O’CONGHAILE
My name is Jamie Powell, I’m 17 years old from Kildare Town and am currently an apprentice to Mr. John Oxx.
My interest in horses came from an incredibly young age, I was born into a racing family actually. My father Anthony Powell was a jump jockey for many years and had one of his better days aboard a horse called Maid Of Money who won the Irish Grand National in 1989 which was trained by the late John Fowler, his last big winner came aboard the Jessica Harrington trained Dance Beat in the Ladbroake hurdle in 1996. Unfortunately, he passed away in early 2003 when I was just 4 months old, so I don’t have many memories of him, but from the stories I have heard he was a great character.
His dad Paddy Powell won the Irish Derby in 1954 on a horse called Zarathustra and my other grandfather Peadar Matthews won the Irish St. Léger in 1962 and the 2000 Guineas in 1963 on Linacre, so its safe to say I have the pedigree for it anyway.
MY EXPERIENCE
I didn’t have much riding experience surprisingly, but I always had a passion for horses, it wasn’t until 2018 when I got accepted into the RACE academy in Kildare that I started to ride race horses. I learned lots there and made very good friends. In January 2019 I got sent out on placement to Mr, Patrick Prendergast and I started to come on as a rider slowly but surely.
It wasn’t until Mr.Prendergast and Mr.Oxx joined forces that I started to ride confidently and in July Mr.Oxx offered to sign me on and I jumped at the opportunity.
I have had 5 rides so far and the first of them was on a horse called Brave Display at the curragh which was a day I will never forget, getting to ride at my local track with all my family watching on from the stands it was a special feeling. On my second ride I was beaten a neck on Seb Star in Dundalk after making all on him just to get collared on the line, there was a bit of mixed emotions after the race as we didn’t expect for him to run as well as he did but it would have been very nice to get off the mark that early. I think it was after I crossed the finishing line that day that I became hooked to the game and knew that I didn’t want to be anything but a jockey.
Mr.Oxx has been very good to me and has given me chances where he can, I have been lucky enough to ride for Moyglare Stud on my third ride so hopefully I am going in the right direction. I have no problems with weight thankfully and can ride at any weight which is a big help when you are getting started. Hopefully when racing starts back, I can get a few rides and get going but it is a very tough game, and nothing will be handed to me.
