For now the thrill is gone. The chase towards the final furlong and the flight over the last hurdle. The take off and the landing and everything spread out below in perfect miniature.
Ask Seán Flanagan what he misses most about being inside the Covid-19 lockdown and it’s not just the obvious: the national hunt season has been brought to a premature close, that’s all understandable, only Flanagan has found himself grounded in other ways too.
It's about two and a half years now since the Wexford jockey began taking flying lessons, and recently got his private pilot licence (PPL); he's been training too towards a commercial pilot licence (CPL), only that's all on hold given the 2km limit on any recreational exercise, on the ground or in the air.
Now based at the Noel Meade Stables at Castletown in Meath, Flanagan is living just outside of Slane village, with his partner and their two young children, Lilah (two) and LJ (10 months). Like most people he's got a few dates circled in the diary over the coming months (including their wedding in June) but all that's on hold too - for now at least.
Clear skies
“Usually if I’m not able to race, then I am able to fly,” he says. “But they’re both out for the moment. So I’m looking out the window at the nice weather and the clear skies and thinking what a great day to be racing and flying.
“I miss them both. The flying for me has become a lovely out from the racing as well, and I think it’s crucial for any sports person to have that, especially for after they retire.”
In the meantime Flanagan is not completely grounded from the horses, getting to ride out every morning to ensure they also get their required exercise.
“Noel Meade’s stables are just a few minutes over the road, so I can get there no problem. But things are different in the yard, the obvious one is everyone is social distancing, so you just tack up, get on with it yourself.
“It’s primarily a jumping yard, and when all this started that was still the busy season. But we could see the way things were unfolding there wasn’t going to be much racing in April, and now all jump racing is gone. They’ve all gone to grass a month or six weeks sooner than usual. We’re lucky he’s got plenty of flat horses in the yard as well, and it’s looking more likely that will come back first.
“So the numbers have more than halved, but the horses still have to be rode out, it wouldn’t be safe otherwise, physically and mentally, everything with their well-being. They have to be out of the stables. They’re not doing as much, just get them out and back in as quickly as you can. But sure they’re delighted, not working as much, getting out in the field with the sun on their backs, keeping their heads down. But it’s trying times for everyone, just to make sure everyone stays safe and well.”
From Palace East, in Wexford, Flanagan entered the professional ranks back in 2007, his principal wins since including the Pierse Hurdle, the Thyestes Chase and the Midlands National; he's been stable jockey to Meade since September of 2016, replacing Paul Carberry.
Shattered jaw
He's already found himself grounded this season in other ways too, after two hard falls: "Yeah, after riding a few winners in Downpatrick in September I'd a bad concussion, missed five weeks there, then in February I had fall in Naas and fractured my skull and shattered my jaw, so I was four weeks out. My jaw was wired closed for three-and-a-half weeks.
“So it’s been a hit-and-miss season anyway, but this is the first time since I was 16 maybe that I was at home not riding and not broke up, so sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself. Not even being able to watch the racing. The body doesn’t know what’s going on. Even my car is wondering why it’s not being driven. So the fitness is taking a hit, so you have to stay on top of that. I’d normally do some swimming too, but that’s out too.
“It’s about trying to get out running and or walking as best I can, in the evenings, staying as close to racing weight. Riding out in the morning is a big help, just to be able to get up on the horse. If I wasn’t riding in the morning, it would be harder again.”
On the controversial issue of Cheltenham going ahead last month, Flanagan suggests it certainly wasn't ideal: "We were all wondering beforehand would it be on, would it be off. All I could do was take every precaution, drove over, on the ferry, stayed in a house with a friend, up in the morning and into the racing, then shower, back home again.
Young family
“I didn’t go in around the track at all, and left on the Thursday after the racing. For me, it was quite similar to riding behind closed doors at home, because I had no contact with anyone. For the jockeys there was no real contact with the outside. Plus I’ve a young family at home, and was anxious about taking any chances anyway.”
For now, however, no one is complaining about the lack of racing. “There is good camaraderie there, among all the jockeys, and of course we’re all wondering when we’ll be back, but also the well-being for each other. If it was anything else that was stopping racing you’d probably be a bit annoyed about it, but because this is so serious, impacting on everything, you realise this has to be sorted before anything can resume. Everyone is in the same boat, and when the news comes on in the evening, it puts everything back in perspective.
“Looking at the numbers rising and falling, to say by early June there might be some flat racing, would be optimistic. It’s all been extremely weird. The longer it goes on, the more strange it’s getting. And it will take a while for things to get back to normal. Of course a lot of people are a lot worse off as jockeys, even in the racing industry, you know that as well.”
