A crop of 30 young Irish jockeys have just completed the toughest part of their training at Portlaoise Equestrian Centre, handling and learning all about horses.
The centre was chosen by RACE, the official training establishment of the Turf Club, because the facilities at the Army Equestrian Centre in The Curragh are no longer available.
The young jockeys, aged between 14 and 15, will receive certificates from the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Noel Davern, tomorrow.
The trainees will all be employed in the industry because, even if they don't make it as jockeys, they will find work as head lads and assistant trainers in an industry with 100 per cent employment for those qualified.
The youngsters have just completed their 12 weeks' riding instruction, which is central to the 42-week training for a career in racing.
What they learned may bring them to the top of their profession as they follow in the footsteps of Shane Kelly, the champion apprentice rider for this year, and Johnny Murtagh, the champion jockey.
Looking after the young jockeys is nothing new for the Portlaoise Equestrian Centre, which was set up by Eamon Sheehan, a local businessman, and his family in 1993.
The centre, on a 20-acre site just a mile from the town, has an indoor arena measuring 60 metres by 25 metres, stabling for 80 horses and a seven-box isolation unit.
The centre also forged links with Portlaoise Vocational School to provide an equestrian and stable management course for young people from the area.
With one of Ireland's best-known equine authorities, Faith Ponsonby, the students on the Post-Leaving Cert course are taught equitation, equine anatomy, physiology, basic veterinary practice, business organisation, communications, computer studies and stable management.
This, along with a broad range of other subjects, including first-aid, allows the young people to qualify for the British Horse Society preliminary teaching certificate, a passport to the working world of horses.
"We have been trying to develop the whole area of education here and we have been very lucky to have been involved with Portlaoise Vocational School and its headmaster, Michael Parsons," says Mr Sheehan.
"We also provide courses for foreign students who want to come in and get involved in the industry. Currently we have a student from Switzerland and one from the UK."
The centre is also training a young man from Ballyfermot in Dublin, Shane O'Neill, who will be an instructor at a major new centre which is to be built in west Dublin to provide facilities for the young urban horse owners who have no facilities at present.
"We have the advantage here that we provide accommodation for 30 or more students so they can live at the centre if they wish," explains Mr Sheehan.
His son, Ronan, manages the centre, which like other centres provides riding and tuition facilities for people from all over the midlands. He is a rider with an international reputation and has trained with some of the top tutors in Europe, including Pia and Ted Netterquist in Sweden.
The rest of the family are also involved in the sport: another son, Brian, jumped on the European team in the Netherlands in 1991, where he won an individual silver medal.
The centre also provides facilities for the Laois Riding for the Disabled group and this has become part of the fabric of the school's activities.