ENGLISH TEXTS
but it was a good experience. It was a great experience, but it was coming up to the winter and I fancied a change once I knew I wasn’ t going to be light enough to be a flat jockey” The move to France never fazed him because in the winter of 2017 he took a three-month trip down to Australia to work for John Sargents and Les bridges. This most defiantly prepared him for a life abroad working in different environments he states. He sips on his tea before starting this part of his story with a smile, probably from remembering the sandy beaches and fosters beer.“ It was great fun other than the really early mornings. I would ride 8 or 9 lots a day and be done by 10am trying to beat the heat. It was something different, I learnt a lot about pace and making the pace with the beeper on my helmet and on a Friday, we would jump loads of horses out of the stalls which I really enjoyed especially when the orders was to jump out and treat it like a race. I did a few trips to the races which was different, but I enjoyed all the free time out there. I got to go to the blue mountains hiking over a weekend and then mixed things up with a few city trips to Sydney seeing the Opera house.” As good as the aussie sun is, home was calling and his preference for English flat racing was still strong at the time. Upon returning home another crack at his weight was on the agenda and a
new job at none other then John Godsons began in February 2018“ I was buzzing to start at Johns full time and where do I start. To sit on Stradivarius and do one of his first solo strong canters up the al bahtri the well know all weather gallop was unbelievable. I even sat on enable and roaring lion on the odd Sunday too trotting them, to be able to say I got to ride these three horses is something I am very proud of. I did really enjoy it there; the money was good but wasn’ t there to long. I started to really want to race ride but wasn’ t willing to get my weight down for the flat, so I decided to have a big change up and move to Tom Georges and give national hunt a go.” Moving never phased him and he reflects on the people who he met and helped him during his time in the picturesque Cotswold’ s like Paul Hainey who he still relies on for advice today. Paddy Brennan, Johnny Burke, Cieran Gething’ s and Adrien Heskin are all top jockeys who use to come into George’ s stable on schooling mornings and give him advice to he says. As he takes another sip on tea, I ask him what was the biggest difference he found with this particular move?“ The jumping. I’ d never really done any before except a few cross poles in the school at the British racing school. It took me awhile to get schooling at Toms and it was happening quite slowly for me even though I took out my conditional license in the
February of 2019 I never rode in a race for him. I did travel a lot going racing with his horses which I loved. Going over to Punchestown which was brilliant and leading up Singlefarmpayment in the grand national where he finished 8 th was unforgettable. Living in the Cotswold was something I didn’ t take for granted either being in the countryside and up in the hills where I use to go running and cycling a lot.” Grafting all winter led to a conversation with Tom’ s son Noel about summer plans and he mentioned France. Looking around his living room there’ s plenty of evidence from photos on the wall that France became a success for Howie.“ I went out there to get schooling experience but I’ m not sure how I ended up at Francois Maire Cottin, but he was brilliant. The fact he spoke English was a big help as I spoke absolutely zero French. The intention was to never stay in France full time it was just to get more experience schooling because I wasn’ t very good that I certainly remember. Being 24 with no point-to-point experience and only one ride under rules three years earlier defiantly left me at a disadvantage in the UK but Cottin got me jumping immediately. I was all over the place when it came to jumping a horse though, couldn’ t get the pace right, rode too long, didn’ t help the horse or use himself properly, it was a steep learning curve, but Francois must of taking a lik-
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