Spend lunchtime at the cricket ground today. Never seen this sport live in action before, but even with my rather rudimentary understanding of the game, it was certainly enjoyable. I watched the Caribbean Champions League on TV a couple of times lately and it kind of intrigued me. So it was certainly interesting to see it played right in front of my eyes today.
Life can be tough if it is your job to steer half a ton of horse flesh over obstacles on a muddy turf course in freezing conditions. However that is exactly the scenario jump jockeys face day in day out during the heights of the season.
If you ask these men and women, though, they will confess how much they love the ‘game’. It’s pure dedication and passion for the sport – in fact a certain lifestyle that is as dangerous to the human body, that a single fall can end your career, if not your life. You’ve got to be made of a certain character to endure this kind of pressure on any given day.
It’s not a life made of caviar and champagne. Far from it it. It’s a puristic life, for most parts. It has little financial incentive for many jockeys out there, who in fact struggle to make a living. If your not at the top of the game, then you may end up jumping out of the bed in the early morning for one ride on the other end of the country, booked on a long-shot, who you potentially fall off from during the race, paid your riding fee which pays at least for petrol and maybe a coffee, though nothing else.
It’s all about dedication and passion. Look into the faces of these men and women. It’s all there. You can see it. Passion. Dedication. Love. Desperation. It’s a life rich of moments and emotions.
2014/15 Leinster Senior Cup Final: Clontarf vs. UCD
A sunny, yet chilly Saturday afternoon in the South of Dublin.
Shoot It Now 