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St. Conleth's Parish Newbridge - Newbridge Parish

St. Conleth's Parish Newbridge - Newbridge Parish

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My Day at The<br />

Curragh Racecourse<br />

By Matas Misevicius<br />

I raised my hand and said the<br />

turning hammer and I got it<br />

right, naturally. Donal said if<br />

he worked really fast he would make 40 a<br />

day but he also has to fit the horses with<br />

the shoes. My teacher said I can take the<br />

horse shoe home at the end of 5th class.<br />

I was overjoyed when she told me. I<br />

couldn’t help but smile.<br />

Now we finally got onto the racecourse.<br />

Another gentleman taught us about the<br />

racecourse. He pointed out holes in the<br />

ground. They were there because when<br />

horses race, mud and dirt from the grass<br />

gets stuck to the horses’s hooves, leaving<br />

holes in the track. To repair and prepare<br />

the track workers put sand, silt and grass<br />

seeds to make better racing conditions<br />

for horses. Then the man told us about<br />

the plastic barrier around the track. It’s<br />

plastic because if a jockey fell they would<br />

bounce right back. People go around the<br />

track to put the barrier there. One person<br />

puts the shaft in place horizontally and<br />

another puts a shaft down to hold it (he/<br />

she is called the legs).Then he told us<br />

about where the horses start to race at<br />

the red pole. He also taught us when 2<br />

horses are really close to the finish line<br />

and we don’t know which one won,<br />

a camera then takes a picture and the<br />

judges can see who won. At the end we<br />

had a race from the red pole. It was really<br />

tense and there was not enough space for<br />

everyone but it was still cool. Everyone<br />

ran swiftly but the winners won a cap<br />

or a shirt.<br />

After the racecourse we went to the<br />

jockey changing room. We met Paul<br />

The Curragh Racecourse<br />

Foxe a jockey master. He explained to us<br />

what he does. He gets all the gear for the<br />

jockey ready and makes sure the jockey<br />

has the right colours on. Paul passed us<br />

the equipment and we all took a look<br />

at them. There were pants, boots (the<br />

boots had a sort of horse shoe to prevent<br />

slipping), breeches, goggles, saddle and a<br />

number cloth. He said if a jockey is too<br />

light he puts metal plates in the saddle to<br />

make it heavier.<br />

Then an actual jockey came in. His<br />

name is Jamie. He talked to us about<br />

the dangers of being a jockey and about<br />

horses being badly injured that they have<br />

to be put down, but sometimes they can<br />

survive.<br />

Then Paul showed the scales where they<br />

weigh jockeys to see if they can race.<br />

After the race they get weighed again.<br />

Then we went to the <strong>St</strong>ewards’ Room<br />

(Paul said it was the jockeys Principal’s<br />

room). Jamie told us that jockeys go in<br />

there to be told what they did wrong like<br />

hitting the horse too much or bumping<br />

into other horses.<br />

After that we finally went back to<br />

school, where I sat and pondered about<br />

my wonderful day in”the Curragh of<br />

Kildare”. People travel from all over the<br />

world to visit “the heart of Irish racing<br />

“at the Curragh Racecourse. I’m so<br />

grateful that I have it on my doorstep!<br />

Matas Misevicius, Scoil Mhuire Senior<br />

Ballymany, 5th Class, 11 years old<br />

Teacher - Ms O’Toole<br />

Farrell & Nephew<br />

Savings Club Now Open<br />

Join today and spread the cost of<br />

Back to School!!!<br />

Free book covering<br />

available<br />

No. 8 Main <strong>St</strong>reet, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />

045 431708<br />

Books@Farrellandnephew.ie<br />

Teeny Weenys<br />

Playschool<br />

Ballymany Manor, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />

Caring Qualified <strong>St</strong>aff<br />

Register now<br />

for E.C.C.E.<br />

Scheme<br />

(Free year)<br />

Contact Christine<br />

087 1233240<br />

“Ecoplumb”<br />

M&F Plumbing & Heating<br />

59 Great Southern, <strong>Newbridge</strong>.<br />

045)432444. 086)2564875.<br />

Contact us for all your plumbing<br />

and heating needs.<br />

We install Gas, Oil, Solid<br />

Fuel and Solar Systems.<br />

Registered with RGII, Oftec & SEAI.<br />

GLENNONS FUNERAL<br />

UNDERTAKERS<br />

<strong>Newbridge</strong> & Surrounding<br />

Areas<br />

15 years in the undertaking business<br />

with new Funeral Home in <strong>Newbridge</strong>.<br />

24 hours a day, 7 days a week.<br />

Contact John Glennon 045 860110<br />

Jim O’Connor 045 431891<br />

086 8093492<br />

NEWBRIDGE WOMEN’S<br />

HEALTH CLINIC<br />

Curragh Grange, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />

(Beside O’Reilly’s Chemist)<br />

Registered for New Cervical<br />

Screening Programme<br />

1 day Ante-Natal Classes<br />

available<br />

Run by a female gynaecologist<br />

For appointment, phone 045 435499 / 085<br />

7274382, Email: womenclinic@hotmail.com<br />

Web: www.womenhealthclinics.com<br />

Ken Eustace<br />

Landscaping & Maintenance<br />

Paving, Planting, Kerbing, Gravel<br />

etc. and all aspects of garden<br />

maintenance and pruning<br />

Contact Ken<br />

086 8262245 / 045 438762<br />

9<br />

Laura’s Flowers<br />

& Gifts<br />

Athgarvan, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />

Fresh Flowers and Wreaths<br />

Full Delivery Service<br />

Gifts for all occasions,<br />

Christening, Weddings etc.<br />

Full engraving service<br />

A CALL to Laura’s in<br />

Athgarvan IS A MUST!!!<br />

Tel: 045 480622 / 087 2866487

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