ALMA MATER

He liked maths and history, but he liked horses more. Charlie Swann recalls his school days:

UNTIL I was seven I attended my local national school in Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, and then went to boarding school - Headford School - in Kells, Co Meath. I found boarding school life a bit hard at first. I missed my family and was often homesick.

I liked school though - particularly the sport. At Headford we played plenty of games - rugby, cricket, hockey, soccer, tennis and squash, which I enjoyed. When I was 13 I moved to Wilson's Hospital, outside Mullingar, Co Westmeath, where we played rugby, cricket and soccer.

I wasn't particularly good academically. Maths and history were my best subjects, but I wasn't good at English. Even today my spelling is only all right. I started riding before I could walk. We had horses at home and my father trained them. I missed the horses when I was at school, but at Wilson's I used to ride out for Mr Tormey, a local horse trainer. At home I did pony-racing and show-jumping, but I preferred the racing. I started riding as a hobby and never thought I'd become a champion jockey.

I had my first three winners while I was still at school. I was lucky that I was able to have my first ride for my father. It was March 19th, 1983, and I rode a winner at Naas. It was then that I got the bug for racing. I didn't know what else to do so I thought I'd give it a go.

I left school just before my Inter Cert when I was 15. Although my parents weren't too keen, I managed to talk them round. I was taken on by trainer Kevin Prendergast thanks to a family friend, Gabriel `Squibs' Curran, who was stable jockey there. I lived in digs in Kildare town for a couple of years before moving into a flat.

I enjoyed my time training. There were lots of lads my own age there, all wanting to be jockeys. We had to muck out the stables, groom and feed the horses and ride out.

As a jockey you have to keep improving and set yourself standards. On my first few rides I didn't look good - I lacked style and didn't sit well on a horse. You need plenty of practice. Some trainers will tell you what you're doing wrong but mostly you teach yourself by watching other people. You have to be quite self-aware.

A lot of people think racing is easy. I've been lucky. I've been making a good living. It's great when things are going well, but it can be a struggle, if you don't make it.

Having said that, I do enjoy the life. You get to travel and meet lots of people. To be a jockey you need to love horses and riding and be prepared to work hard. Not everything about the job is glamorous.