Careers: Katie makes the big jump from racecourse to college course

Professional jockey Katie O’Farrell is leading groundbreaking research on the mental health and coping strategies of jockeys, writes Sarah McIntosh.

Sarah McIntosh

13 November 2024

Careers: Katie makes the big jump from racecourse to college course

Professional jump jockey Katie O’Farrell from Kilkenny has graduated from South East Technological University (SETU) with Master of Science (MSc) in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology. \ Patrick Browne, Brownes Photography.

Katie O’Farrell graduated recently from South East Technological University (SETU) with a Master’s of Science in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology. The Kilkenny native’s MSc was fully funded by SETU and the Injured Jockeys Fund, UK – the first collaboration between Ireland and UK for jockey research.

Katie O’Farrell graduated recently from South East Technological University (SETU) with a Master’s of Science in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology.

The Kilkenny native’s MSc was fully funded by SETU and the Injured Jockeys Fund, UK – the first collaboration between Ireland and UK for jockey research.

With a string of victories at amateur and professional levels, Katie is no stranger to the jockeying world.

She reached the pinnacle of National Hunt racing, including two significant wins on the Willie Mullins-trained Low Sun. She also featured in Jump Girls, a two-part documentary highlighting women’s critical role in horse racing.

Career change

Katie’s racing career eventually came to a natural end and, drawing on her experience as a jockey, she pivoted into research and returned to SETU to study sport psychology at master’s level.

“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,” says Katie.

When she was transitioning out of sport, Katie decided she wanted to be the person that her sport psychologist had been to her.

Although it was a difficult time – moving away from the sport and returning to education – she had a lot of family support.

“People said 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 having completing this master’s is something I am very proud of,” she says.

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 means 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. This will hopefully provide a platform from which we can build to improve their lifestyle, and therefore, their overall well-being,” adds Katie.