Claine Cassidy – CAFRE Alumni

My love for horses began in my early childhood where I spent many hours at a local equestrian centre in Co. Meath.  It was there that I had my first experience riding ponies on a regular basis. When I turned 14, I got my own grey Connemara pony which I adored.  At this stage, I was obsessed with everything associated with horses. Shortly after, I completed my first British Horse Society (BHS) exam. The feeling of achievement was unbelievable. I was always good with the practical elements and I particularly loved learning about something I was interested in.  I sold my pony after two years and got a six-year-old Sport Horse mare. She was a little less laid back than my Connemara, and I felt we both needed some education.  She is one of the reasons I applied to CAFRE. She made me want to learn more so we could become better, and we did.

I arrived at CAFRE for the Open Day on a glorious day. The college was a picture, I was excited to see everything, and it didn’t disappoint.  In my mind if I was to spend another four years studying, CAFRE was where I wanted to be.  I was over the moon when I secured a place on the FdSc in Equine Management course. The two years at Foundation Degree was full of practical lectures, riding lessons and theory. Although Covid dampened the experience slightly the course still lived up to my expectations. There wasn’t a class I was in that I didn’t learn something new.  Having the opportunity develop my knowledge about the breeding industry, business, horse management and training techniques was incredible.

After achieving my Foundation Degree in Equine Management, I had the opportunity to progress to the Honours Degree in Equine Management. The Honours Degree was a step up, however having spent two years in CAFRE I was more familiar with the expectations which was comforting especially entering a class of people I didn’t know. The Honours Degree gave me a more in-depth education into the theory aspect of the different sectors within the industry.  It was more academic but provided me with the knowledge needed to enter the industry confidently.

In my final year I stepped out of my comfort zone and was elected to be the president of the Student Representative Council. This student focused group is in place to allow students’ voices to be heard but to also allow the campus to grow together as a community through different events.  This role gave me the opportunity to improve many skills including public speaking.  The improvement in this skill was apparent when I interviewed for the CAFRE Internship Programme. To my delight I was awarded two internships. On finishing my exams at I progressed straight onto an internship at The Curragh Racecourse. This is giving me a chance to experience the day to day running of a world class racecourse and I am particularly loving the event management aspect.  I will complete this internship at the end of November, and I will then start my second internship at Weatherbys Ireland in January, where I will get the opportunity to find out about the different areas of work within the company including the laboratory and equine registration.

I achieved my BSc Hons Degree in Equine Management and have become a more open minded and confident person.  I aim to finish both of my internships and move abroad for a year to work in a showjumping yard where my love for showjumping can continue to grow. When I come home to Ireland, I hope to put my mare in foal and begin breeding my own competition horses.  CAFRE has given me the tools to build the career I have always dreamed of.

If you too have a passion to make your way in the equine industry, discover courses delivered at Enniskillen Campus.

CAFRE offers courses suited to those leaving school with GCSE and A-Level or equivalent qualifications and supports the development of skills for those working in the industry through work-based learning and short courses.