As well our team of full time staff, the yard has a small band of part-timers who ride out. They all have other careers or jobs or, in this case, university studies but have become a much loved part of the mornings... Reka Varvedo works four mornings a week at O’Neill Racing, starting originally as part of her university placement year. She is studying a BSc (Hons) in Equine Performance and Rehabilitation at Hartpury University and, since June 2025, has been a big part of

On June 13th, York Racecourse held the 55th Ernest Cooper Macmillan Ride of their Lives, which headed the eight-race card. The twelve jockeys, who raised over £115 000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, were an assorted bunch. Becky, the granddaughter of Mick Easterby. Danny, a strength and conditioning coach from the Injured Jockey’s Fund’s Jack Berry House. Brian, who over forty years ago fed a Mars Bar to a racehorse in his care, causing it to fail the dope test and hit nationa

Too Hot to Handle At the end of May, the temperature spiked to above 30°. During lunchtimes, a small troop of female staff, with bikinis, towels and tanning oil, found suntraps to bronze themselves in. It wasn’t so bad when the girls were caught sunbathing by assistant trainer Hayley Meeking topping in the tractor, but awkward when a male colleague, who we shall call ‘Gary’, happened to drive past when they were sunbathing at the top of the short gallop. Apparently, there w

‘I always had an involvement in racing,’ says Dominic Ruane. ‘Growing up in the Cotswolds meant if you could ride, you’d end up on the back of a racehorse at some point.’ However, initially ‘Dom’ was a successful eventer. Having studied A-Levels, he was a working pupil for Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks in Wiltshire before riding full-time. ‘I never made it to uni,’ Dom laughs ruefully. In 2005, he competed in his first big event, Blenheim Horse Trails. ‘I ended up taking