The Road to Racing: In the saddle

Friday, August 25, 2006

In the saddle

With hindsight i presume that my comeback in the Horse Racing circuit would be a marathon. Kind of race riding against the stopwatch. I guess i was ready for the ride. But i still can't believe that i will be ‘back in the saddle’ after 18 months inactivity. Obviously, not as a jockey but as a ground staff.

I was speechless at the time i made my comeback at David Payne Racing Stables in Royal Randwick. Particularly when the Foreman (Assistant-Trainer) Christopher O'Carrigan goes to me: "J-F are you ready for the ride?", i replied "Absolutely ready". Then the next day i started to make my footprint in the yard with an early start at 3.30am.

Candidly, I couldn't believe the fuss of commencing my apprenticeship of learning the sideways of looking after racehorses. At this particular period my philosophy was to foster my experience and to push myself to the limit of internalising the concept of Horsemanship in Australia. To describe the job itself; there is one word to say it: Stablehand.

Being fully recognised by the Racing New South Wales through my Stablehand licence...my enthusiam have embellish my plans for the future. Why not thinking of embracing a career as a Trainer? Or being a Horse Racing Writer? Think about these choices! I guess I’m a firm believer in the idea that you’re always happier when you’re doing what you love as your professional job.

Well, i assume that it would be a tough decision to make as far as i'm concern. But at the moment, i'm fully involve in the Racing enclosure. I have spent six months working at David Payne Racing Stables with my best mate, Jonathan Luxe, employed as an Work rider under his Apprentice licence jockey. We had both climbed up and down the hills during these past couples of months struggling with the hard work of everyday morning and afternoon. As we said in the jargon; "Same shit but different days".

From my point of view, you should harbour a passion for horse racing at first before you really get into the industry. It involve a lot of commitment and hard work. I would be a great liar if i say that i haven't learn anything at Dave's stable. I had enjoyed myself working beside the Foreman Chris for the past six months i have been his apprentice-foreman.

But i have decided to move on to the next level...try another experience in a bigger and more competitive stable like John O'Shea Racing Stables.

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Biography

Time has flown so fast these last decades. On the 14th September 2004, I found myself in a new country, with a different culture and different lifestyle. After spending twenty-four years going with the flow of life in Mauritius, now I find myself ”swimming in the vast ocean” in Sydney.
I wasn’t randomly chosen to be here in Australia. But the fate decreed that I should be here instead of somewhere else. Even though I had missed my chance of being in France or Reunion Island in the past but I don’t regret the move towards partaking the Aussie culture. Since October 2004, one dream has come true; being at the University of Technology of Sydney (UTS) by undertaking a degree in Journalism. Merely to become a professional ‘Sport Writer’.
As a matter of fact, it took me years to achieve what I have always wished in life – going to University. Now, I’m re-arranging the puzzle of my achievement so that I can complete the whole part of the puzzle in Sydney nowadays. The long trip I navigate before the plane landed the tarmac of SIA, however, was far more awe-inspiring.
My horizons were limited during 23 years I spent in Pointe-Aux-Sables; a small village on the west coast of Port-Louis, the Capital of Mauritius. My roots, which I take care of, come from this suburb where I was born on 12 March 1981; the Independence Day of Mauritius.
I have grown up in a small family with my dad, Roland, my mum, Monette and my younger brother, Stephane. At the time we were living in a typical modest house in the 80’s, it was such a model family living in a perfect communion of dialogue. During these years, it was such a formal and informal education. I won’t forget along side the ‘street education’ I have internalized so many years ago as a means of experiencing life in its entire dimension. I have shared my whole entire life with them full of happiness, joy, feelings, and compassion in a way of complacency as well as disagreement and arguments.
And I realize now how the success has come to me after a long battle. Finishing my HSC Advanced-level at the age of 20, reaching my best athletic performance at 21 and embracing a career as ‘Sport Journalist’ at 22 in 2002 working for a weekly newspaper, 5-Plus Dimanche and Racetime magazine. The mad thing was having a high status and famous personality where people recognize me through my articles and their impact in the Sports and Horse racing industry. It was the pinnacle of my career.
Knowing how tougher and tougher it was to ‘reach the top’ in a couple of years, but it wasn’t an easy things to achieve. Behind this success, there’s a family; the Jeanne’s family including Sylvio, Annette and their daughter Priscilla has been the catalyst of a massive contribution and devotion throughout my life. Their help, support and guidance have helped me to excel my qualities of making things better and better.
Contented with today and excited about tomorrow, I feel as happy right now as I ever have in nearly twenty-six years. I’m extremely happy about my life here in Sydney, my studies at Uni and my job at the stable...John O’Shea Racing Stables. Who knows I’ll end up like John O’Shea one day! It goes against the grain with me to even have to mention it: what goes on at the heart of my life in Sydney is no-one else’s business, but mine after all. I have proved myself in a way that people haven’t expected things will be a success for me. Now there are a lot of things to be learning yet and I’ll dedicate myself to it. A lot of living for me to do too, I can’t wait to find out what the next twist in my story – will be.