Emma Connolly assistant trainer to Noel Meade © Photo Healy Racing
I'm from Killyon, Co Meath and always had a fascination for ponies. My mam and dad eventually gave in and I got riding lessons and then I got my own pony. Then when I was about 12 or 13, I was fortunate enough to start working for Frederick John Bowles and all I wanted was racehorses after that. I was mucking out and riding out there and doing general stable duties. That was during weekends and school holidays. I got the bug massively. I wanted to be a jockey but wasn't good enough. I had a few rides in places like Limerick and Roscommon as an amateur in bumpers. My bottle probably wasn't good enough either.
I left school when I did my Junior Cert, I was good at school but just didn't want to be there. I just wanted to work. My mother always laughs because they used to have to drag me out of bed to go to school, but I don't think I have ever been late for work a day in my life. I kind of had to forego the hunting and the showjumping and everything else. It is a pity when I look back that I didn't keep my hand in one of those. Not that I did a lot of it, but I had a pony and my parents used to bring me hunting or to the shows. My dad was a butcher and a greyhound trainer and then he bought a pub. When I left school, I went into John Bowles for work and rode a few for him. I did a season riding yearlings in Juddmonte Farms as well and I have worked in a few different places. I did my cruciate and had to have it reconstructed when I was 24 playing camogie. I played a good bit of camogie and that kind of curtailed it. My sister is actually chairwoman of Meath Camogie. Either the horses or the camogie had to give because you don't have time for both.
At that age, I landed in Noel Meade's. A fella that used to shoe horses there actually rang me and said he was looking for staff. I said I would give it a go. I went in as a groom and a rider initially. I'm still there going on 16 years later. I've done everything in there. I'd say about seven or eight years ago Riona Lynch was giving up the Travelling Head Lass role. I was always helping her, so then I progressed into that position and I'm also Assistant Trainer now. I've always enjoyed it. There's a lot of responsibility, but it is nice to be travelling the horses - you are meeting people and going to different places. Noel is good to work for - we can have an odd cross word with each other! He leaves me at it and I also learn different ways of training. Every trainer has their own way of doing things. There are 60-70 horses in at the minute. Paul Cullen, Head Man, has been there over 40 years and then Damien McGillick (Assistant Trainer) is there more than 30 years. The rest of the staff are getting younger, but it all works.
I rode Snow Falcon from when he was a three-year-old and always looked after him. What was he - 158 over hurdles, 160 over fences and I think 97 on the Flat? There's not too many like that. He brought me to all the big meetings. To be fair, the Hunts gave him to me when he retired and, unfortunately, he got badly injured on me in September, so I had to make the big decision to put him to sleep. He was a massive part of my life and he was with me 11 years. He's the horse that you would get out of bed at 3am when it was minus 10 for. He was a very popular horse. He had a massive character and I videoed a lot of it and put it up on social media. He was a gentle soul as well.
Helvic Dream is a Group 1 winner and was Noel's first ever Group 1 winner on the Flat (Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May 2021). He is a character and always has been since he was a yearling. Layfayette probably holds a special place in my heart now too because I have ridden him and go everywhere with him. He's a proper character - when he doesn't want to go somewhere he says no! I had a great trip with him last year to Bahrain for two weeks (Group 2 Bahrain International Trophy in November). He ran well enough (unplaced), it was probably the end of a long season for him. He loves life and is a great horse to have around the place. It is great for the Hunts that they have a horse of that calibre still. I know he and Helvic Dream are going on eight now, but they love life and they are best friends. They holiday together, they walk out together and are like two old hunters. They are also obsessed with polo mints. Caught U Looking was an absolute queen to be fair to her, so laid-back and so easy to do anything with. It was great to see her owners get the money that they did at the Sales for her (1,800,000 guineas). It is unfortunate for us that she has gone to Australia, but it was nice to have a filly of that calibre and to say that we looked after her.
Snow Falcon© Photo Healy Racing
There's probably two or three days that live long in the memory. I think Road To Respect winning in Cheltenham (Brown Advisory in March 2017). That was a long week and we had a lot of runners, and things just weren't going to plan. Then by Thursday night, we were all on cloud nine! It is a different feeling to have a winner in Cheltenham. Even to have horses placed in Cheltenham, just makes the week for you. Road To Respect was a proper horse and a serious character. He was a serious horse to jump a fence and loved what he did. We were fortunate enough to get him at the time we did get him. To be fair, Eoin Griffin had him as a young horse. We were blessed to get him and he won four Grade Ones - days like that will always stick in your memory. It is nice to have a couple of horses that are capable of winning those big races. They are going with a chance and he was just one of those horses. You always knew he brought his 'A' game all the time. He was very up for a battle, he loved a battle. He's living his best life in retirement in Gigginstown.
Helvic Dream winning that Group 1 was a massive day. It is just unfortunate that it was during Covid-19, there was no crowd or anything like that. I'd also have to say Snow Falcon winning the Kerry National (at Listowel in September 2018). I had fancied him and fancied him, and they all thought I was mad. Jonny Moore, who rode him, actually travelled with me to the races on the Monday because he was riding something else for us and it saved him driving. I said to him that he would ride the winner of the National on Wednesday and he told me to stop messing! He said he would have a thousand pounds with me if he did win it. I said no problem. I never got the thousand, but he did throw me a party! He put on a free bar and everything the following weekend.
Pinkerton winning the Galway Plate in July was different gravy! Considering people call us a Flat yard now, we have won a Midlands National this year (Idas Boy) and a Galway Plate, so we are not doing too badly. Pinkerton winning the Galway Plate was brilliant for the Pollys, they are brilliant owners to have and they love the game. They threw us a massive party in Navan and I was just raging as I had to go to Naas the next day with five runners! I would think Pinkerton is going to run in the Paddy Power at Christmas (in Leopardstown) Touch wood he stays sound, he is going well. Onwards and upwards with him. He is entitled to keep going at those good races.
Cheltenham would have been the holy grail for a long time but, because we are going a little bit more on the Flat, probably Royal Ascot and Epsom are now. It is a big deal having a horse good enough to go to those big meetings. I loved going to Royal Ascot and still love Cheltenham and Aintree. I'm still a National Hunt woman! We are always open to more owners and horses in Noel's. I want the horses running well all the time and winners make the world go round, keep kicking in the winners.
It was nice to get the Leadership Award (Stable) at the 2019 Irish Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards and I appreciate the people that nominated me. It is just nice to know that people hold you in that esteem and would put you forward. You would be trying to bring young ones on as best as you can in Noel's, especially the racing side of it and trying to teach them. You have to get them to a level where they are capable of going off by themselves.
There are highs and lows in racing, but if you are willing to work hard and do the bit extra, you will get rewarded for it whether it be getting to lead up a good horse at the big meetings. Those days are very rewarding. When you look after a horse and he wins a big race, you would be on cloud nine for two or three weeks after it. If you are a responsible person, with common sense, that enjoys their job and works hard, you will get on.
Emma was in conversation with Michael Graham.
If you would like your racing story covered on this blog please email [email protected]
