Former footballer in saddle for injured jockeys

Paul Murphy


A FORMER Meath footballer and probation officer is working hard to prepare for the thrill of a lifetime - riding in the Corinthian Challenge race to raise funds for the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund.

There won't be too many people who will be able to say they played for the Meath senior football team in two All-Irelands, and rose in a horse race in the Curragh and Leopardstown but Ian Kearney, a Navan man who works with the Probation Service in Meath hopes to fulfil that ambition by September this year.
Irish Injured Jockeys was set up in 2014 to increase awareness and raise vital funds to support injured jockeys. Led by chairman, Ruby Walsh, secretary, Andrew McNamara, leading riders including Pat Smullen, Patrick Mullins, and representatives of HRI and the Turf Club, the organisation's vision is to provide long-term care and guidance, not only when jockeys have suffered injury through horse riding but when they need help in their secondary careers and in their lives after they have finished riding.
Meath and Louth will field a strong team for a series of three races from July to October in The Curragh, Leopardstown and Navan, including Kearney, Rachel Carberry, Tara, Theresa Maguire, Kilmessan, Orla McKeown, Collon and Paddy Woods, Julianstown.

Ian Kearney says he has always been fascinated by the thrills and spills of horse racing and has had a keen interest in horses since his childhood. "It was my childhood dream to be a jockey", he said, and spent many weekends in his youth travelling the country attending point-to-point meetings with his uncles. He attends as many race meetings as possible, including meetings on his native turf, Navan. In 2013 he rose in the Punchestown charity race and helped raise funds for kidney research.
Kearney's life is consumed by sport of all kinds but the GAA is probably nearest to his heart. He played as a member of the senior Meath set-up between 1989 and 1993 and was a member of the winning team in two Leinster finals. 
In the run-up to the races on 22nd July (Curragh), 23rd September (Navan) and 27th October (Leopardstown) he has to raise €10,000 but also has to come down to 12 stone from his current almost 14 stone weight. His britches on the race days are being sponsored by Hannon Travel Navan and he is grateful to the many sponsors who came on board for his recent  race night in Ryans, Trimgate Street. Watching eagerly from the sidelines with be his wife Sinead, children Jack and Kate (who also love pony riding), Niall, Sara and Annie.