Although he was born and brought up in the Irish racing county of Kildare, the 19 year old Nurney native wasn’t from a horsey family and didn’t sit on a horse until he was 13.  His older brother Kevin, was already forging a career as a jump jockey and Ryan decided that he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“I watched my older brother racing and thought I’d like to have a go so I rode my brother’s hunter to learn the basics.  The next day I sat on a racehorse, it ran off with me and I fell off!”  Recalls Ryan.

Determination and perseverance paid off and Kevin got his brother a job riding out for Peter Fahey at the age of 14 where he spent his weekends and school holidays and the following year, Ryan had a season of pony racing.

Leaving school at 16 Ryan joined RACE, the Racing Academy and Centre of Education in Kildare, but the course was halted due to the Covid outbreak, so he returned to work full time for Peter Fahey.

In July 2020, Ryan gained his apprentice license and had his first ride for Peter in an apprentice handicap at Limerick aboard Stellaire Enfant.  Not only was it Ryan’s first ride but it was also his first winner and in fact a first win for the horse too.

A year later Ryan moved to England,

“I really wanted to give the flat a go and felt there were more opportunities in England.  Sean Davies (former apprentice with Richard Fahey) put me in touch with Adrian Keatley, who had recently move to Malton and I haven’t looked back.”

In a short space of time Ryan has quickly established himself as an up and coming jockey in the north and further afield.  He mainly rides out for Adrian but has fostered a good relationship with Alan Brown and last year rode 50 winners for 23 different trainers.

Memorable wins to date include Kihavah who won at York racecourse during last May’s Dante Festival for his boss Adrian and the Julie Camacho trained Look Out Louis who won a class 2 race at Chester.  Ryan also got the call up to ride at Royal Ascot for Gordon Elliott.

“That was something else,” Ryan reminisced.

“Once I got down to the start and looked back at the packed stand it really hit me that I was riding on the big stage.”

Ryan has made a good name for himself across the Yorkshire racecourses and ridden winners at seven of the nine courses, with only Wetherby and Pontefract eluding him to date.

“I’ve been close a couple of times but I’m finding Pontefract the hardest course to win at so far.”  Said Ryan.

Ryan lives in Malton with fellow jockey Oisin Orr and credits his good influence where fitness is concerned.

“Oisin is a regular at Jack Berry House and makes me go with him so we head up there together to make use of the great facilities.”

Although Ryan sees his future on the flat, Adrian Keatley makes use of his riding talents and regularly has Ryan schooling the jumpers over the winter months, in between backing the yearlings, it’s certainly a very varied life working for a dual purpose trainer.

With 59 winners to date and claiming 3lbs, Ryan needs only 36 more wins to lose his claim and would like to do this by the end of 2023.  If last season is anything to go by it’s certainly a realistic target.