Kilkenny jump jockey Katie overcomes college hurdle in style
Kilkenny jump jockey Katie O’Farrell is leading groundbreaking research on the mental health, well-being and coping strategies of jockeys in Ireland and the UK.
Ms O’Farrell yesterday graduated from South East Technological University (SETU) graduatU with a Master of Science (MSc) in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology. The Kilkenny native recently began a fully funded MSc between SETU and The Injured Jockeys Fund, UK. It is the first collaboration between Ireland and UK regarding jockey research.
With a string of success at amateur and professional level, Katie is no stranger to the jockeying world. Her breakthrough came with two significant wins on Willie Mullins-trained Low Sun. She also featured in Jump Girls, a two-part documentary which highlighted women’s role in horse racing.
Katie’s career eventually came to a natural end. Faced with the prospect of transitioning out of her sport, she drew on her experience as a jockey and returned to SETU to study sport psychology at master’s level.
Looking back at her career, Katie reflected: “During my time as a jockey, I got advice from a sport psychologist on a regular basis to help me cope better with the challenges of being a professional athlete in a high risk, low reward sport. Having experienced the impact sport psychology had on my own career, I learned to really respect and admire the profession.
“When I was faced with that crossroads of transitioning out of my sport, I thought of how I would like to be the person that my sport psychologist had been to me during that chapter of my life. I’d be lying if I said I was sure I was doing the right thing when I chose this path but, thankfully, now that I’ve gotten this far, I know that I am.”
Katie attributes her family’s support as instrumental during her studies.
She added: “It was a difficult time for me moving away from the sport that I loved and entering back into the world of education. It was very challenging for me to go from a life where my body did the work, now to a life where my brain was doing the work. It took time to find my feet, but I got there, and my family provided all the support that I needed to help me during that time.”
Aside from the new friendships and connections that naturally came with returning to education, Katie said a personal highlight was overcoming her apprehension about re-entering university.
“I had a lot of people say to me during that time that they could never go back to college again. Yes, it was hard, but it was worth it. The feeling of accomplishment completing this master’s has given me is something I am very proud of,” she said.
Katie’s research focuses on exploring the mental health, well-being, and coping strategies of jockeys in Ireland and the UK, particularly regarding the impact of weight-making strategies.
“Horseracing’s strict weight requirements mean constant low weight demands for jockeys and their means of achieving these weights are often extreme and potentially hazardous to their health. It is also my intention to explore what contributes to jockeys’ positive mental health, giving us a platform from which we can build to improve the jockey’s lifestyle, and therefore their overall well-being,” she said.
Having spent years race-riding in both Ireland and the UK, Katie finds it fitting to be the lead researcher on this project.
“I have spent years race-riding in both Ireland and the UK, so it feels very fitting to be the lead researcher on this project. It is always exciting to be a part of anything that hasn’t been done before, so I feel very fortunate to be entrusted with this responsibility and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds, and what kind of difference we can make in the future,” Katie said.
CAPTION: Professional jump jockey Katie O’Farrell from Kilkenny graduating from South East Technological University (SETU) with Master of Science (MSc) in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology. Photo: Patrick Browne, Brownes Photography.
