Find out which one hates American bread, which one loves American sports. One of them digs changing into shorts and a T-shirt every afternoon, and another lives for a daily Facetime with his young son. 

And discover who's 'eaten his weight' in fresh, local oysters since he's been stateside.

By Betsy Burke Parker

We caught up with five of the fresh crop of visiting riders. Listen to their stories, in their own words, about the similarities, and differences, about the U.S. versus the British and Irish jump circuit, in America versus back home. They're all riding on Saturday at Great Meadow's Virginia Gold Cup meet near The Plains. (entries are HERE)

WATCH Aidan Coleman, prominent UK-based steeplechase jockey, alongside UK/US-based jump jockey Harry Beswick, as they take us thru the 9-race card for the upcoming Virginia Gold Cup running on May 4 at Great Meadow in the Virginia. Wagering is available via the Churchill Downs' Twin Spires app (ADW). WATCH HERE.

FAST FACTS - RYAN TREACY

⭐ Age: 30

⭐ Hometown: Donagh, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

⭐ Based now: County Limerick

🏆 First winner as an amateur: One Cool Shabra at Bellewstown in 2012

🏆 First winner as a professional: Flamenco Prince at Downpatrick in 2012

By the numbers:

I’ve had 73 winners, but I’d been off for a year and a half since I broke my back two years ago when a horse went through a wing at Kilarney. 

I broke four thoracic vertebrae, with 11 fractures and a broken rib. 

It was quite a rehab – kudos to racing physio (therapist) John Butler. He’s top class, and got me back to racing. Swimming, stretching, laser machines, acupuncture – you name it, we did it. 

Huge thanks to him. I feel good as new. 

I’ve had 75 rides since I came back in September. 

Right place, right time:

I was schooling horses for (Irish jumps trainer) Shark Hanlon in Tipperary two weeks ago on Wednesday. I’d gotten on 15 horses for him and he’d taken a phone call while we were riding. 

It was this American trainer, Arch Kingsley, who he knew that was looking for a rider to come to the U.S. for a month and get on some nice horses (based out of Camden, South Carolina at Kingsley's farm.)

After we were done schooling, I was with mates at a pub in Galway, and I made my plane reservations from there in the pub. Everybody was telling me to go, that it will be fun. 

I got here last Tuesday, rode my first races at Foxfield – second and third. 

Saturday (at the Virginia Gold Cup meet at Great Meadow), I ride the card. Especially looking forward to L’Imperator in the Grade 1. 

I mean, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. I feel lucky for this chance that Shark lined up for me.

What he doesn’t miss one bit:

I don’t mind the change of weather, going from putting on waterproofs and being cold all day. 

I like the nice weather (in Camden, and at Foxfield in Charlottesville last week.) 

What he misses a lot:

It’s a long way from home, and I do miss my family. I have a 4-year-old son, Donagh. I get to Facetime him most days, so that’s better than nothing. But I miss him. 

Camden doesn’t really have a bar, and no Irish music. That’s different. 

And I guess there’s a language difference. Back home, you’d say “you’re taking a good craic” at somebody, but here, they look at you funny. Craic isn’t the same as crack, I guess. 

I don’t say that around here. 

FAST FACTS - EVAN DWAN

⭐ Age: 27

⭐ Hometown: Boherlahn, County Tipperary

🏆 Wins: Back home, he’s had 11 point-to-point winners, eight under rules 

In the U.S., he’s won three point-to-points (when he was here in 2018, for trainers Willie Dowling and Jimmy Day) and rode his first U.S. winner under rules April 27 at Foxfield with Auchencruive for Keri Brion. 

⭐ Now based at: Trainer Jack Fisher’s in Maryland

How horses:

I grew up show-jumping. My dad used to ride point-to-point (races) as an amateur. 

I started off working for (NSA champion rider in 2019) Jack Doyle’s dad, Pat. He had a big point-to-point yard. 

Driven by adventure:

I came here for eight weeks in 2018 to work (in Maryland) for trainer Willie Dowling. I thought it would be an adventure.

It was.  

I was supposed to come back, but Covid stopped that, stopped everything. 

This go-round, I decided it was now or never. 

Differences in training:

I find that American horses race a bit keener than the ones back home. I suppose that’s the way they’re trained because every horse really has to travel (run on the pace from start to finish) in racing here. 

I’m looking forward to Saturday at Great Meadow. I’ve never been there but heard good things. 

Sweet tooth?

The main thing I’m missing from back home is a good piece of chocolate. American chocolate just isn’t as nice.

FAST FACTS - BRIAN BARRY

⭐ Age: 21

⭐ Hometown: Conna, County Cork, Ireland

🏆 Wins: Six point-to-point wins in Ireland

First winner under rules: Listowel, Ireland

First U.S. winner under rules: April 27 at Foxfield

⭐ Working for: Trainer Leslie Young in Pennsylvania

Family support network:

I started hunting at a young age with the local Conna Harriers. I (did) that most winters growing up then when I was 14 I started pony racing during the summers. 

I had some success, riding close to 30 winners. My brother (John Barry, today an amateur jockey in Ireland with 300 career wins, point-to-point and under rules) was very good to me, sourcing me nice ponies and horses for the (young riders’ horse division.)

My dad was also very good to me, feeding and looking after the horses daily as well as driving them long distances around the country for us to compete. 

Neither of my parents has a background in racing, but they have grown to it with two sons being jockeys. They’re avid fans now, following racing and attending weekly. They are good supporters and both always keep in touch. 

They watched the winner I had at Foxfield from home, live (on the NSA livestream.) They got a great kick out of it. 

One of the gang already:

It felt great having the winner here. I had won two (U.S.) point-to-points prior to that, but to get a sanctioned win was even nicer. 

All the (U.S. based) jockeys and trainers have been very friendly and make it feel as homey as it can be. 

Fast-paced:

It’s a lot quicker pace here with the quicker ground. You can’t give away too much ground at any point, in my opinion, especially over hurdles. 

Horses (here) are trained more for speed and kept a little fresher. They don’t need the hard stamina training which Irish national hunt horses get because those (often race) 3 miles on heavy going. 

The jumps here are different. The U.S. (national fence) isn't quite like a hurdle back home, you can’t flick through them like an Irish hurdle. 

You have to jump them like a small fence. 

(Another difference is the U.S.) horses are being turned out daily before they ride. I think it’s nice for the horses.

Big crowds, small community:

The crowds seem to be a lot bigger in the U.S. A lot more people attend in comparison to Ireland.

It’s nice to have “atmosphere” at the meetings. 

The racing community is tighter knit in the U.S., I think (maybe because there’s) less trainers and jockeys. 

Everybody knows everybody, where in Ireland a lot of trainers and jockeys wouldn’t know some others. 

A lot of the jockeys here are Irish too, so it makes it a bit more fun. 

Not only the Irish but every jockey has been (a huge) help to me. You never feel like the odd one out being new. 

I’m lucky my girlfriend Katie came to work for Leslie too, so I never feel too homesick or anything. She is great for advice and helps me in every way she can.

Words to the wise:

Same here as there, you have to work hard and just hope you get on nice horses, and when you get the opportunities, take it with two hands. 

My brother once said in an interview that “you get what you put into the game.”

You still have to do your homework knowing your opposition and watching replays of races on the track before. 

Loving:

My favorite thing about the U.S. is probably the warmer weather. 

I love the atmosphere at sports matches. I’ve been to a few, and the fans really make it more exciting. Also the entertainment during the breaks. It’s fun! 

Missing:

I miss the traditional Irish bread. 

I’m not a fan of American bread. 

FAST FACTS - BEN FFRENCH DAVIS

⭐ Age: 27

⭐ Hometown: Lambourn, Berkshire, England

⭐ Nickname: Frenchie

🏆 Wins: First one (on the flat) in 2013, first one (over hurdles) in 2016

First U.S. winner: the training flat race at Middleburg Spring on April 20

⭐ US Base: Living at the late Tom Voss’s Atlanta Hall in Monkton, Maryland, working for trainer Todd Wyatt down the road.

Ffunny name:

Ffrench is a relatively rare surname found in Ireland, a variant of the name French. The name originated in France and was brought by the Normans, who landed in County Wexford in 1169. The name is of medieval origin.

Horse history:

Ffrench Davis rode as conditional jockey out of Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows in Lambourn for two seasons, and for Oliver Sherwood for two seasons before taking 5 ½ years off to work as a starting gate assistant at flat meetings and as his trainer-father Dominic’s assistant at High View in Lambourn. 

Dominic had been assistant trainer to Paul Cole, and, later, David Elsworth of Desert Orchid fame. 

‘Liking American life’:

I like the American life. I’d never been here before I arrived (in late March.) 

I kind of like this hotter weather – I’ve been wearing nothing but shorts and T-shirts since last week. 

I’ve been swimming in the rivers, and I found a good gym in Hunt Valley that has a nice swimming pool last week. 

I’ve made good friends already, but I think I’ve put on 10 pounds since I got here. 

Yet … :

One thing I really do miss, which is a massive thing, is a roast on Sunday. Roast pork, or beef, or lamb, doesn’t matter. It’s like having a special Thanksgiving dinner, but doing it every single Sunday.

My mum and my sister are great cooks, and they usually do the cooking, though to be fair, I cooked my first roast dinner a few weeks before I came here.

No one died so I guess it was ok. 

Loving the food:

I’m a pasta-making fanatic, but I’ve found over here, my favorite thing to cook is a good tuna steak. 

And you know I’ve eaten by body weight in oysters since I’ve been here. I can’t get enough of that, slurping them right off the shell. 

FAST FACTS - PADDY O'HANLON

⭐ Age: 26

⭐ Hometown: Dunshaughlin, County Meath, Ireland

🏆 First winner: (flat) at Dundalk in 2015, (jump) at Leopardstown in 2019

🏆 Biggest win: Lord Lariat in the 2022 Irish Grand National 

⭐ Stats: Winners of more than 1 million euros in eight seasons

How horses:

My father bred horses as a hobby, so I always had an interest and access to ponies and horses.

I spent most of my school days playing football and athletics, I won national championships in cross-country.

I spent time hunting and showjumping (on ponies) and progressed to horses. I also did pony racing – that was an eye opener and the start to it all.

To the races:

I started on the flat at 17, I was still at school at the time.

My first winner came in Dundalk on the all-weather – a day I won’t forget. 

I don’t remember doing much work in school the day after that!

That’s a big difference from my first winner in the states. I was able to enjoy the day and take it all in. (At the April 20 Middleburg Spring Races at Glenwood Park in Virginia, O’Hanlon rode Green Valley Construction’s My Forever Annie for trainer Leslie Young to win the filly and mare maiden hurdle.) 

Language barrier?

It’s been different coming over to America, but I’ve enjoyed the challenge.

My biggest problem is ordering coffee – nobody can seem to understand my accent! (I use) a lot of hand signals and pointing at which milk I want in my coffee. 

The cars are a lot bigger in the U.S. compared to at home.

Also the race days are big events here every weekend. It’s a massive effort from everyone to make it a big day.

Three wishes – then and now:

(On a 2013 Ask.fm Facebook game asking what he'd want if he was granted three wishes.)

1. Go back 40 years and work for Ginger McCain; 2. Own Coolmore; 3. Wish for another few wishes. :) 

We asked for his May, 2024 responses – 

“I’d like my family happy and healthy, a grade 1 win, and an airplane.

An airplane?!

I have a pilots’ license – single engine rating. I’d love to add a multi-engine and instructors rating to that in time. 

(I have) a passion for aviation, and it is a great bit of fun. I do quite a bit of flying during the summer months.

Commercial flying would be a goal for me when I finish my riding career.

If I could have one plane, I’d love a Piper Saratoga. Or a winner at Saratoga ... I’d take either one.