cillin leonard
sponsored jockey
My path to a career in the saddle seemed very unlikely when growing up in Beaumont, on the Northside of Dublin city.
My father was an aircraft mechanic in Dublin Airport and my mother was Principal of a Special School in Beaumont. I always loved horses from an early age being exposed to them on my school holidays on my grandparents farm in County Laois. They always kept ponies and horses. My mother grew up enjoying many competitive wins in the pony show-jumping scene. My uncle continued the equine tradition breeding racehorses and enjoying show-jumping with his children. I loved riding the ponies out with my cousins whenever I could and particularly riding bare-back and making our own cross-country courses.
I was lucky enough to get a place in RACE in Kildare when I was 16 and from here I started with Ken Condon on the Curragh. Ken has a great eye for race horses and an excellent work ethic. This was definitely my grounding. I went from Ken’s to Willie Mullins yard in Carlow where I was privileged to ride alongside the best in the industry, Ruby Walsh, Paul Townsend, Patrick, David and Danny Mullins. I really learnt a lot here purely from watching and listening to the best. Then I took out my licence with Pat A Fahey where I had my first winner on ‘Supreme Steel’, in Thurles March 2017 followed by two more wins on ‘No Pressure Pat’.
Things got a little quiet in Ireland for me and my agent at the time put me in contact with Olly Murphy in Stratford Upon Avon, where I got my first win in the UK. I was really made welcome in the yard and made great friends in the industry. Opportunities in a big yard are hard to come by, especially where there are a number of jockeys but again my UK agent saw an opening to join Dr Richard Newland’s yard in Elmbridge, Worster. This, without a doubt, has probably been my best move to-date. Dr. Newland wasn’t shy in giving me rides, I guess he saw something in me and I’m very grateful to him for this. I got off to a great start with just my first ride in Cheltenham and my second ride for Dr. Newland. I won the the opening race in Cheltenham’s October Festival 2019 on ‘Duke Street’, giving me an amazing win. This was followed by three wins in Ascot first on’ Mason Jar’ and then two wins on ‘Coillte Eile’ . I love the yard and get on great with everyone. We are also very lucky with the owners we have attached to the yard and I’m also very grateful to my sponsors Devaracing.
Of course, Covid 19 has stopped us all in our tracks but we’re all safe and back in the game again. Here’s looking forward to lots of rides and wins in the season ahead.