Oakley Brown© Photo Healy Racing
I'm from a racing town called Malton in North Yorkshire and we were good family friends with (ex-jockey) Mark Dwyer and the Dwyer family. My sister got a pony when she was nine and she was riding ponies while I wanted to be a farmer. I eventually got the courage to get up on a pony and after I rode the pony once, I loved speed, jumping and galloping. Then when I was about 12, I headed to Mark's one morning and ever since then I knew I wanted to be a jockey. Mark probably taught me everything I needed to know about riding horses and then I got a racing pony when I was 13, so I started pony racing. I think I rode maybe 40 winners pony racing. I started off on a farm pony called Kelly, a Connemara, and she won a race. Then i got two little thoroughbreds out of Ireland and they were very good.
I did that up until the age of about 15. I then left school at 15 to go and work for Richard Fahey. I used to ride my bike down there every morning, it was about half a mile from where my parents lived. I had my amateur licence for maybe three months and then I got my apprentice licence in July 2018. Things happened very quickly - I rode two quick winners for Richard. My second ride on a horse called Third Time Lucky won at York and that was a brilliant day. I had been racing at York, my local track and a lovely track, my whole life with my family. I still go now when I go over there. I was over two weeks ago for the Ebor Festival. To ride a horse for dad's friends' partnership, I'd say was one of my best days in the saddle. Ironically, I rode three winners on the Flat for them and had a 100 per cent strike rate for them. Everyone was there and the race was at 8pm on the music night. The next day I rode a winner at Newcastle, I'd say maybe 15 hours later, and I was laughing to myself saying 'I like this game, it is easy!'.
I rode a big winner for Richard in September that year in the Ayr Bronze Cup on Lucky Lucky Man. That was a great day and I was still 16 at that time. Richard has always been very good to me. I still speak to him now and still try and ride out the odd day there if I go home. Robin O'Ryan, assistant trainer, plays a very important role in that yard. He helped me with my riding from the age of 15 and still gets in touch with me. Also, Paul Hanagan was a very big help to me. He's one of the nicest men I have met - I can still text him now about something and he gets straight back to me. I got an amazing start up there and I'm very thankful for that.
I was always struggling with my weight on the Flat. I'm 5'10 now and I'm quite a big lad. Six years ago, there was a lot of jumps trainers in Malton and all I wanted to do was go jumping. That was all I had in my head from the start. I had a short spell with Alan King and I rode a winner for him over jumps. I was still 17/18 then and I was wondering where do I go and what do I do. Then in summer 2019, I made the move over to Ireland to Joseph O'Brien's. Joseph gave me some unbelievable chances and I rode in some of Ireland's biggest handicaps. I rode over 10 winners that season in Ireland. It was brilliant riding for Gigginstown and JP McManus. Joseph put me on some good horse and I was very, very lucky.
I got a bad fall at Kilbeggan and broke my wrist and when I came back things just quietened up. I was struggling to get the rides. Joseph still stood by me, but the yard was slightly shifting more towards the Flat, so I decided to go back home to my home town of Malton. Everything was brilliant at the start - I rode one or two doubles and got a good few rides and winners. I was riding mainly for Brian Ellison, Chris Grant, Jedd O'Keeffe. Everything was going smoothly and then I had another nasty fall in Hexham in 2021, a horse reared over on top of me and that completely knocked me back for roughly four and a-half months.
Fakir and Oakley Brown winning a hurdle race at Limerick© Photo Healy Racing
I stopped riding in 2022 for 18 months and went travelling. I was in Bali and Australia. All I had done since I was 16 was wake up and ride horses. For the first month I didn't know what to do and I did nothing to be honest. I actually worked for my father for a bit in Portugal. He has a renewable energy firm. I think he was getting sick of me after about a week! I then went to Australia and worked in a racing yard over there, I was riding track work and I loved that. I also travelled and was there for just over a year. I spent a bit of time in Bali and came back in summer 2023.
I was 21 then and I realised I wanted to give the riding another go. Looking back, it is all I have ever wanted to do is be a jockey. I had two and a-half stone to lose. I woke up one morning and stood on the scales and I was nearly 13 stone. I was running every day and I wanted to come back to Ireland as I spent most of my teenage years over here in Ireland. I have a lot of friends over here. I wanted to come back to Joseph's. I knew there wasn't going to be anywhere near the number of jumps horses as there was, but hopefully there would be a few opportunities along the way. It took me over two months to lose two stone. I had a brief chat with Joseph and the head lad about coming back. He was more than happy for me to come back, so it was great to be back in the yard with the lads in early November last year. I was very dedicated when I came back.
I got a spare ride at Limerick one day in a maiden hurdle for the Durkans and after that I gave Gary (Bannon, assistant trainer) my number, and I landed on a horse called Eagle Fang at Punchestown in May. I was shocked to be riding him in a big race there. After that, I rode a winner for them two days later. Things took off a bit then. Bill and Neil Durkan have been unbelievable to me and stood by me all summer. Gary has been very good to me - I go in there once or twice a week and we chat about the horses and everything. I owe them a lot really. I do maybe four days a week at Joseph's as well. I've had maybe 8-10 rides for him since I have been back and rode a couple of nice races for him. He'll always support you when he can and it is a great yard to be in.
The Durkans, Gary and Joseph have stood by me, but I'm also trying to be riding more. As thankful as I am to them, I need to be getting more rides. Hopefully, there are a lot of nice horses in the Durkans' this year to look forward to and they could put me on the map. Hopefully, we will be sending a couple to Cheltenham in October. I am only back riding maybe eight months and my weight is very good now. I am back down to 10st 10lb, so now it is just about getting out there. The only way to be getting your name out there is to be riding really. My bottom weight is 10st 7lb, I tend not to go any lower than that because I think it can then affect your riding. I'd rather be a bit heavier and stronger than being a bit too light and too weak. I will definitely be committing most of my time to Joseph and the Durkans because they are the ones who have given me the most rides. As the season goes on, I would try and ride out elsewhere and see where it takes me.
Eagle Fang has to be my best day in the saddle. It was the Friday at the Punchestown Festival. I knew he was a very consistent horse and that we had a chance. I didn't think we would beat the favourite, Anotherway, to be honest, but it was amazing and a great day. All my friends were there and I'd love to live that day again. He is back in now and cantering, and I feel he is an even better horse this year. I know he will be right on the day he is running anyway.
Oakley was in conversation with Michael Graham.
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