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Alan Dempsey, born March 12, 1977, was brought up in Thurles, Co Tipperary, the youngest of five children. His father was an engineer, his mother a housewife.
There was no racing backgroung whatever in the family but their neighbour kept a few point-to-pointers and Charlie Swan's sister, Natasha, used to come and ride them out.
During the school holidays, she took young Alan over to her father's yard where Captain Swan agreed to take the 15-year-old on as an apprentice.
Alan then had 24 rides on the flat without success before his
weight started shooting up.At that time, Charlie was first jockey to Dessie Hughes and he made the introductions. Dessie took him on; the young jockey repaid him by riding 26 winners in four years.
Alan went on to become champion amateur with 47 winners in the 1999-00 season and was the leading conditional rider when riding for Mary Reveley. He had joined her stable in 1998.
He profited from a long term injury to stable jockey Peter Niven.
'You hate to see it happen to anyone, but I have to take full advantage,' he said pragmatically at the time.
Speaking of the Reveleys he said: 'They are so well organised and fantastic with the owners. For such a big operation, the place runs like clockwork. We've 125 horses here, but you'd swear there were only 25, it runs so smooth.
'They let you know straight away if you've done something wrong and they don't like their horses knocked about. But they are very fair to ride for and that makes my job easy, because all the horses are sound jumpers with chances.'
The Reveley's luck deserted them on November 28 2001 when Mary Reveley was found guilty of schooling in public. The horse, My Line, was banned for 30 days and Alan received a five day suspension. Mary was fined £750.
On Saturday April 5, 2003, Alan rode no-hopper Robbo in the Grand National (unseated at the 19th) and, in 2005, Ballybough Rasher. His mount in 2006 was Just In Debt.
Alan rode from 1998 to 2008 during which time he amassed 262 from over 2,100 rides.
He had his fair share of injuries, including a fractured skull, broken cheekbone, multiple fractures of the eye socket and major facial injuries (he has eight metal plates in his face).
A fall at Newcastle from a horse called Hutch, trained in Malton by Peter Beaumont, effectively ended his days in the saddle.
Reflecting on his career Alan said “I enjoyed every minute of it and was lucky to ride some nice winners including the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby on Random Harvest and the Boarders National on A Piece Of Cake.’’
Time moves on and he seems to have fallen lucky this time as he has been snapped up as a salesman by Easy Fix, an Irish-based firm who supply many of the top trainers with some of their equine needs, including their plastic fences which have proved very popular of late.
Looking forward to the future, the popular Irishman said: “I’m enjoying my new role very much and if my next job is as satisfying as my first I’ll be a happy man.”
In 2009, Alan, who lives in the Cleveland village of Skelton, was appointed a BHA Stipendary Steward.
He is married to Becky and has a daughter, Alicia.
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