Name: Adrian Browne
Age: 22
From: Cloneen, Co. Cork
It was a day to remember for 22-year-old Adrian Browne at Ballyvodock on Sunday as he guided his fathers trained West Of Carrig to victory in the winners of two contest.
How did you get involved with horses?
There was always horses and things at home over the years, the father always had point-to-pointers at home. I got my first pony as a young fella after seeing my cousins out hunting.
I was probably about 10 or 11 when I got my first pony and I used to hunt with the cousins down in Kinsale with the South Unions.
When I was 18, I bought my first racehorse and I have been hooked on it since.
Cloneen Storm was the first racehorse I ever sat on, he was a bit of stable star at home. I remember my father used to lead me around on him, I never galloped him or anything I just sat on him.
Have you many horses in at the moment?
We have three in at the moment, two for point-to-points and then a mare for the flat. She ran there last year for us but things didn’t really go to plan with her she got a niggle after her run at Leopardstown and the season was upset then, so hopefully we get a clean run with her this season.
Where are you working at present?
I actually work at the horses part time, I work with my father who has a plant hire company and we do plenty of ground work with diggers and things.
Myself and my father ride out the horses in the morning and then we head off to work.
Where did you come about West Of Carrig?
A buddy of the fathers Jay Leahy, he’s like our ‘Tom Malone’ at home, he is very good at picking out horses in fairness to him.
He found this horse for us at the end of the August, we picked him up then in the end of September and we let him off for a months grass then and then brought him back into training in October.
Since then in fairness to him has been spot on, we can’t fault the horse since he has arrived, he is just electric at home.
He has been running well this season, were you confident of another big run on Sunday?
He had been running so well but his work dropped off a bit in the middle of January and we were trying to get him back and spot on for Ballyvodock point-to-point, as it was always the aim to get a winner at my local track.
All I wanted to do was to have a winner at my local track, so Sunday was always the plan!
Did you get some kick out of riding your first winner?
It was serious to be fair, there was so many locals wanting to shake my hand after, it was unreal. There was nothing nicer than riding around the local track and then having a winner.
It was just brilliant on the day, all of my family were there my mother, father, brothers and sisters. There was a lot of cousins there and aunts and uncles too. The Uncles wife had a child only five days previously and he was even there on the day!
I told them he was my lucky charm!
What is the plan for West Of Carrig now?
We will run him again in another two or three weeks in a winners race or an open lightweight. He seems to bounce out of his races well.
What are your ambitions for this season?
Hopefully pick up another winner, that would be brilliant. I love to get a ride on the track too, so hopefully West Of Carrig will go back to the track later in the season.
Was it always your plan to take out your licence?
When I got my first racehorse at 18, it has been all I wanted to do.
Who is your biggest influence in racing?
James Hannon he has been very good to me. I remember I used to watch him years ago riding horses for us here at home he was always our main man.
Anytime I want to organise a bit of schooling in Boulta or anything he’s always very helpful to be fair to him.
He is also good at giving advice before and after a race, he would be the first man you’d go to see what he thinks. He has been brilliant to me.
Terence O’Brien has been an unbelievable neighbour, he lets us work our horses on his gallops. You couldn’t meet a nicer fella and we are very lucky to have him so close to us at home.
They run a good ship there with his assistant trainer Mike and they have great team. We’d be lost without him, he has been so good to us.
Jay Leahy has been brilliant, he is a good family friend to us. He helped me pick out West Of Carrig and if you ever have any questions you could ring him no bother, he has been very helpful over the years.
He has an unreal amount of knowledge and knows his breeding inside out, he is very clued in.
Have you any interests outside of racing?
I play with Carrigtwohill GAA, there is a lovely community spirit in Carrigtwohill. The fellas there you’d see putting the track together are the sames you'd see helping out at the GAA club. They are all involved in everything.
There is just a great community spirit, you’d see the same fellas putting up the Christmas lights there on the Sunday and then they'd be at the GAA pitch on a Wednesday night.
It’s a great place to live, they are a great gang.
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— p2p.ie (@irishp2p) February 7, 2024
Carrigtwohill native Adrian Browne registered his first winner between the flags aboard West Of Carrig at Ballyvodock on Sunday.
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