Name: Scott Kenny
Age: 19
From: Ballingarry, Tipperary.
It was a memorable day for Scott Kenny at Ballingarry on Saturday as he registered his first point-to-point winner aboard the Enda Bolger trained In Excelsis Deo.
You are local to Ballingarry, so it must have been great to ride your first winner there?
Yes, that’s our local hunt, the Ormond’s run Ballingarry point-to-point, so it was great to get off the mark there in front of loads of people I knew.
I’ve hunted with the Ormond’s for years, so really nice to do it on home turf.
Graham Kenny your Dad he’s involved with the point-to-point at Ballingarry?
Yes Graham is my Dad, he trains one or two horses that are specifically for me, him and Mum train them at home which is great as it got me probably eight or nine rides that I wouldn’t have gotten. So I have learned loads on them.
How did you get involved with horses?
There has always been horses at home, my Grandad would have ridden in a lot of point-to-points and trained and my Dad would have ridden a bit in point-to-points as well. So there was always ponies knocking about at home and things like that, hunters and stuff.
When I got more interested in the horses, Dad always promised he’d have a pointer there to get me started and he did, so that how we really got going with the thoroughbreds again I suppose.
How did you end up working for Enda Bolger?
I actually met Enda last year at Ballingarry point-to-point, he said once I get my drivers licence to pop down and that he’d try give me a hand with stuff. The experience I’m getting and what I’m learning down there in Enda’s is amazing.
He has very kindly given me a couple of opportunities this season, so it was great to get my first winner for him as well.
Are you riding out anywhere else?
So since the winter I’ve been with Enda three days a week and in the last couple of months I have been going into Philip Fenton’s two days and Brian Hassett one day.
The days that I am in Enda’s it works out really well as I can pop into Brian Mortell and Ned Mitchells on the way home.
Brian Mortell has been very good to me and has given me a few rides this season.
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Was it always the plan to take out your licence?
Yea it was, I always wanted to but we just had to hang on as I was doing plenty of others things like eventing and hunting and other bits and pieces like that.
I got my licence out when I was 17 but we had a horse at home but he had ran on the track too late so we had to wait until the following season to run him in a point-to-point.
Point-to-pointing has always been something I’ve wanted to give a go.
You had ridden In Excelsis Deo a couple of times were you confident going into Saturdays race?
I was trying not to be over-confident but I was being very hopeful that he would be able to win it and thank god it happened that way.
He is a lovely horse and wherever he goes next will have a good chance, he is a very consistent horse.
Can you describe what it felt like to ride your first winner?
It was a great buzz so it was, it was savage. Just great to get off the mark.
Any young and upcoming riders you want to mention?
I ride out with Josh Halford and he’s been great with advice and helping me out with things. He has had a terrific season, he is flying it.
What are your interests outside racing?
Horses more recently has taken over and has not left much time for other sports.
In the past I did play a lot of hockey and captained the under 18’s Irish Hockey Team and we got to travel to the likes of Germany and Holland to play matches.
You mentioned you had deferred your college course, what were you studying?
I was doing to the Equine Science course in Limerick, but had decided to defer it for awhile and concentrate on racing.
Who was your biggest influence growing up?
Whenever I was growing up, Ruby Walsh was one that you were looking at and watching and now I would make it my business to watch Derek O’Connor whenever I’m at the point-to-points and try and pick up a few things from him as no one is doing it better than him at the moment.
Have you ever been to any of Derek’s schooling courses in RACE?
Yes I actually have, I went to one of the schooling courses up there and it was great, you learn plenty.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
Well obviously big thank you to Enda Bolger, learning loads down there and he got me my first winner.
Thanks to Mum and Dad as well, if they didn’t have the two point-to-pointers at home, I would never have got started and I would have only of had a handful of rides by now.
As a bonus for talented new point-to-point riders who feature in p2p.ie series of NextGen articles, Dungar Quality Oats will sponsor a special draw where one of the riders will win a cash prize of €500. All NextGen featured jockeys who have ridden their first point-to-point winner will be automatically entered into this draw. The draw will be conducted and prize winner announced at the end of the point-to-point season.
