A life destined with horses

Right from early childhood Jim Carey was an odds-on chance to forge a career for himself with horses. With his mother Sally a bloodstock agent and father, Paddy, a horseman working with some of the world’s leading racing and breeding operations including the Aga Khan, the young Irishman was surrounded by thoroughbreds and talk of them day in, day out.

“I grew up in the business and my parents were involved in it for as long as I can remember. It was an unbelievable childhood .

“With the upbringing we had, the Sporting Life and Racing Post were the only papers in the house and family holidays were often put off because Mum and Dad bought a broodmare instead,” said Jim.

School was not a place where Jim enjoyed spending too much time and whenever the opportunity arose to immerse himself in anything to do with horse racing, he jumped at it. He even ventured to the coalface of the betting world and had a stint during mid-term holidays knocking around with a bookmaker in Dublin.

“I had a good school education but I was at every horse sale in England, Ireland and France from a young age and knew every bloodstock agent since I could talk.

“Through my parents I had a great insight into the bloodstock world. I got the chance to see races and sales and make contacts, it was a great start in my life.”

More intent on getting a racing education than an academic one, he lightheartedly admits that his school reports were not overly glowing as a result.

“My end of school results came through when I was out of the country which was good. I could tell you what would win the Grand National or a race at The Curragh but not much else,” he laughed.

At 18, shortly after finishing school, Jim spent four months preparing yearlings at the famed Haras des Capucines in France. That led him to landing a hands-on role at Coolmore Stud in Ireland where he worked for 16 years.

Then came the chance of a lifetime when he was lured to work for Coolmore Australia where he was charged with the responsibility of travelling with some their most prized shuttle stallions including Galileo (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {Ire}), Encosta De Lago (Fairy King {USA}) and Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill {USA}).

He says the 10 years he spent in that role were some of the best and most enjoyable of his life and career. In 2007 the job took him on a journey to Japan where he looked after Rock of Gibraltar during a season at stud there.

“It was an absolutely fantastic time. To be responsible for Rock of Gibraltar for six months on my own during what was his heyday was a huge responsibility.

“He was an absolute gentleman, a gun. I couldn't have been sent away away with a better stallion he was such a professional.

“And Galileo, he was a great racehorse and is an extraordinary stallion. It’s amazing to think back that I did flights with him,” he said.

Those devoted years spent on lonely long-haul flights and in foreign countries with valuable stallions his only company for much of the time, eventually rewarded Jim with a key leadership position at Coolmore Australia as Stud Manager. He served in that role for four years.

Now the 35-year-old finds himself in another top position. He is the newly appointed Stud Manager at Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley, NSW.

“As it would be for any stud manager in the world, to be given the opportunity to manage a farm the calibre of Newgate is definitely the pinnacle of my career.”

Jim goes back 18 years with the founder and owner of Newgate Farm, Henry Field. They first met as teenagers when Henry was learning the racing ropes in Ireland. In fact, Jim sold Henry his first car back then, a story they both enjoy having a laugh about today. It was a lemon.

“Jim did sell me my first car when I moved to Ireland and let’s just say that he ended up on a far better side of the ledger than I did,” said Henry.

“I thought he’s a lot smarter than me this bloke so I had better stay close to him,” he added.

All was forgiven and they have since remained good friends and colleagues.

“Jim’s a terrific person and terrific horseman. We have known each other since we were 17 and we have worked together in different capacities in different parts of the world with Coolmore. Life’s a lot easier when you bring a senior person into your organisation that you have known half your life.

“We instantly had a great rapport from the first time we met. He’s climbed the ranks within Coolmore which is a very good school for any young aspiring horseman. One of the great things about Coolmore is that there has been a plethora of top young people come out of there and they are encouraging of that and people doing well.

“Both Jim and myself have come through that school to a degree and that will bode very well for the future of us working together,” said Henry.

Jim has a fierce respect for Henry and his achievements in the industry.

“We are close friends and to observe what he has achieved at Newgate in such a short time has been nothing short of incredible.

“Not only is he established as one of the most respected members of the Australian bloodstock industry, he is recognised as one of the most progressive thinkers in the industry worldwide.

“Newgate is a very young and dynamic farm and I look forward to working with Bruce (Slade) and the team to build it going forward.”

His role as Stud Manager will involve overseeing the equine side of the farm and management of young stock, mares, stallions, coverings and staff. In his own words, “it’s a bit of everything” and he’s genuinely enthused about the line-up of horses that he’ll be working with at Newgate.

“When you look at Deep Field, he’s had an unbelievable start. The Capitalist weanlings have sold well and we are excitedly waiting for the first of the Russian Revolution foals to drop. It’s definitely a time to look forward to here with a young roster and a diverse and very commercial group of broodmares. We also have an unbelievable bunch of yearlings that we are looking forward to selling at the sales next year.”

Only a few weeks into the new role, Jim is rearing to go for the busy few months ahead.

“It’s a beautiful farm. I love this time of the year with yearlings starting to develop and mares start-ing to foal. It’s leading into stallion parades and sales companies are starting to come around and look at horses. It is a blank canvas at the moment,” he said.

Jim’s passion and enthusiasm is infectious, clearly he lives and breathes the breeding business.

“I enjoy this side of things because I love working through the process from start to finish. I have been lucky to be part of the early development of a number of elite racehorses and there is nothing more rewarding.

“It is very fulfilling when you see the results of a lot of hard work. When you get a result in the sales ring or at the track it makes it all worth it.”

As we wound up the interview for this story, I couldn’t help but ask Jim the most obvious question of all and one he’s had to answer hundreds of times before. And that is, how much ribbing does he get for sharing the same name as the crazy American comedian.

“Yes, there’s always a snigger here and there. I wish I had his bank balance,” he laughed.