At just 20 years of age Richard Patrick has already begun to make a name for himself in the rough and tumble world of point to point racing and has already ridden three winners to start the new season off in real style.

His first winner in this racing calendar came in the Men’s Open at Black Forest Lodge meeting down in Devon, on a horse named ‘Sir de Bearn’ and trained by Micky Bowen, followed by Jonathan Tudor’s ‘Heaventown’ with the Beaufort Hunt at Didmartin, and the same mount when they started out as favourites in the novice race at Garmon’s, the picturesque venue for the South Herefordshire Hunt.

Richard lives on the family farm at Portfield Gate on the outskirts of Haverfordwest but plies his horse-racing trade all over the south of the UK in his quest for winners.

Early start on ‘Tom’

His start in the equine world began when he was a real nipper and his parents, Howard and Jen, bought him a pony, principally to keep young Richard occupied and out of mischief!

“He was called ‘Tom’ and I loved being in the saddle and galloping him around the field as fast as he’d let me – and by the time I was about eight I was using him to follow the Pembrokeshire Hunt at their regular meetings.

“It was a great time because the old-timers looked after me and made sure I was safe – and I certainly learned by experience, rather than having formal lessons.

‘Seren was a star in pony racing!

“When I was 11 I had a 13.2 hands racing pony that was called ‘Seren’ so that I could compete on the local circuit and I was thrilled to have two winning at Trecoed which gave me the impetus to want to become a jockey on a bigger horse.”

That chance came when Richard was 16 and he acquired a big 16.1 hands hunter called ‘Legend’ and within months he had practised enough over fences to make his point to point debut on a horse called ‘Flaming Melody, which was in training with Dai Rees in Clarbeston Road.

Nervous start in point-to-pointing

“That first race was at Bonvilston, in the Vale of Glamorgan, and I was very nervous,” admitted Richard, “and so I was very pleased that I not only managed to stay in the saddle but came fifth.

“By then I had left school and was working at Dai Rees’s stable and had a couple of places in rides on ‘Flaming Melody’, as well as lots of good advice from Dai and John Mathias, who was riding for Dai at that time.”

The next season was disappointing for Richard as he sustained a few niggling injuries, none of them serious but enough to temporarily halt his progress and reduce his confidence levels.

Determination finally pays off with three winners

“But it just made me all the more determined to battle on, “Richard told us, “and last season I finally had my first winner at an evening meeting Devon, where the horse, which was owned by Scarlett Major, was called ‘Alottmore’.

“I will never forget the thrill of passing the winning post first and all the previous investment in time and effort was more than worth it as we were led into the winners’ enclosure!”

This success was followed by other winners, his second success coming on a horse he had been given called ‘Mumbles Pier’ at Golden Valley, in Devon (which also won under National Hunt rules with Jonathan Tudor and Pete Bowen) riding under Richard’s own racing silks of a red body with a blue chevron, blue and red sleeves, plus a red cap.

This was followed by a third success, this time on Redbridge Rebel’ at Trecoed, trained by Micky Bowen, which gave him the silverware as West Wales Novice Champion, something which meant a great deal to Richard because John Mathias and Sean Bowen were previous winners.

Family matters

Ask Richard about support from others then his parents would top the list because they have given him unconditional support and ferried him all over the country until he was old enough to drive himself, plus Dai Rees, John Mathias and the Bowen family, and his sponsor Carl Pyne.

His older brother Drew would also receive a mention, and who was a good rugby player with Haverfordwest Youth at No 8 in a team which also included current Welsh prop Rob Evans, and still plays in Hexham, where he works.

Other sports

Outside of his equine interest, Richard was also involved in rugby when he was at STP School, playing scrum half or full back in teams coached by Gelly James and Jonathan Dodd. 
He also played for a Haverfordwest youth team looked after by Simon Thomas and Peter Hughes but had to step down because of his huge commitment to becoming a successful jockey.

It was a similar story with regard to athletics because Richard was a more than useful at 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles with school and Pembrokeshire Harriers, where he was coached in the former by Pete Freeman and in the latter by Nigel Rowland, where he won the final in the county sports.

Chance meeting pays dividends

Richard started working for the Peter Bowen stable in Little Newcastle purely by chance after his mother Jen bumped into Peter’s wife Karen whilst shopping in Haverfordwest and the ladies relived moments from their days in the same school in Hereford.  

When Mrs Bowen realised that Richard was involved in riding horses she invited him to ride out some of their race horses.

“There is a great camaraderie amongst us work riders and I enjoy being involved alongside Micky and James Bowen, plus Paul Bohan.

“We start out at 7am and during the course of the morning I will probably exercise six or seven horses – and it’s really satisfying – but not quite as much fun when it’s pouring with rain,” admitted Richard with a chuckle!

Always ready to travel to learn more

He also travels up to Bridgend early on Wednesday mornings because he does the same work in the stables of well-known trainer Jonathan Tudor – and for most afternoons he is back home in Portfield gate in time to help his father Howard on the family farm!
Ask Richard Patrick about ambitions and they relate, of course, to his progress in the equine world.
“Initially I aim to keep improving and gaining experience in the saddle and then, like a lot of others, I would love to be a professional jockey.”

There is no doubting his determination to succeed and we wish this modest and likeable young point-to-pointer continued success because he is a credit to this very tough sport!

Pictures provided by the very generous Alun Sedgmore of Sporting Prints