NextGen | Sean Queally

 

Name: Sean Queally

Age:     19        

From: Coolagh, Dungarvan, County Waterford

 
 

 

To be honest, although my dad John Queally is a trainer, I never really took an interest in horses until I was about 12 years old. I got a pony then and gradually moved on to the race horses when I was around 14/15 years old. My dad was very good when I was growing up, he never really pushed me into horses. 

 
 

 

The first racehorse I ever sat on was a horse called Isabel’s Gold. She won a point to point at Dromahane on her first start. She’s owned by Eoin Daly who has worked for my dad for about 25 years.

 
 

 

I finished my Leaving Cert last year and currently I work at home for my dad. I also school for a few people locally such as David and John Kiely. I go into Joseph O’Brien’s on a Sunday to ride out too. Recently I got the opportunity to go into Enda Bolger’s and I got great experience there. 

 

 
 

 

A man named John Nicholson owned the horse with a syndicate and they kindly gave him to me so that I could point-to-point him and get some experience under my belt. 

My 23-year-old sister Orla also has an amateur license and she had a few spins on him on the track too. He runs in my mother Miriam’s colours. My first point to point ride happened to be on my 19^th birthday when I finished second on him at Castletown Geoghegan.

 
 

 

After finishing second on his first run of the season at Castletown Geoghegan, I knew he was in good form. I was worried about the favourite Lifetime Ambition, he’s a good horse. Let’s just say I was quietly confident that if I didn’t win, that I might have been second to the favourite.

 
 

 

It was class. Some feeling to get my first winner on my second ride in points. I thought we were beaten in the back straight but the way he battled back for me to get up by half a length on the line, that was some buzz. 

He jumped great for me throughout and I couldn’t believe how well we were travelling, he battled all the way to the line. I am delighted.

 
 

 

I had amazing support at Curraghmore. My sister Orla was on holidays in Tenerife but my mother and father were there and a huge team of friends were there to support me. It was a day that I won’t forget.

 
 

 

Pat Coyne will most likely have one more run in points before the ground goes soft then we’ll put him away for the winter. He needs the good ground.

 

 

As I said, I had no real interest when I was younger, and it was during the covid pandemic when I was at home riding a lot and I thought that I might as well give the riding a go. 

I decided that I would take out my license, hopefully get a few spins and go from there. My first ride was on a horse called Goodbye Someday at Leopardstown in June 2023. I’ve had seven rides on the track and now two rides in points.

 

Without a doubt my biggest influence has to be my dad John. He was some rider, in fact he still is some rider. At the age of 72 he still rides out every morning. 

He was a two-time champion point-to-point rider and I couldn’t tell you how many winners he has trained. He is a great horseman and I’m lucky that we have a good relationship in the yard. He has taught me everything I know.

 

 

I would turn to my dad or Eoin Daly for advice. We have ten horses riding out at home and Eoin has been around a long time. Himself and my dad are a great team together and there is very little they don’t know. I always take their input on board.

 

 
 

 

I play a bit of hurling and football in the evenings and in the summer I like to play some golf. Horses take up most of my time.

 

 

I’d love to get more experience and improve on my riding technique, especially my position over a fence. The experience I gained when I was in Enda Bolger’s was invaluable and I hope that I can possibly go back to his yard more regularly to ride out. 

It’s always good to school for as many people as possible and if I can get a few more rides all the better.

 
 

 

I want to thank John Nicholson and all of the lads in the syndicate. I am very grateful that they gave me Pat Coyne and they’re all very supportive of me.