Thomas (31) rode as an Apprentice to Andrew Balding for seven years from 2010 to 2017, enjoying 123 winners from over 1000 rides. His biggest win came aboard Educate in the John Smith’s Cup at York in 2016. After a spell in Dubai, he struggled to keep the winners flowing and after a double hernia operation, he retired from riding. He continued riding out before a meeting with JETS at Peter O’Sullevan House led him to turn his career in the direction of the emergency services and he’s now working as an Emergency Care Assistant for the East of England Ambulance Service Trust.

How did you your new career in the emergency services begin?

I had been riding out for a while but then last year, I badly damaged my knee playing football. I was off work for 3 months and during rehab at Peter O’Sullevan House I went to see Phil from JETS. I really wanted to use the time to turn a negative into a positive and make a new career where I could be ambitious again. We literally started writing on a piece of paper what I was looking for. I knew I didn’t want to be in an office, I wanted to be outside meeting new people every day and also find something that would give me a similar adrenalin rush to being a jockey and that’s how we landed on the emergency services.

What was the application process like?

Firstly, we contacted the doctor at Newmarket racecourse and I went along on a raceday to meet the paramedics who follow jockeys around. I was able to ask questions and they confirmed that I wasn’t too old to retrain and that you didn’t need to have gone to University and that there are different routes in and you can work way up internally. The lovely lady I met that day took my email and she told me that I should apply for the role of an Emergency Care Assistant and gave me lots of hints and tips on how to use my life experience to show my ability to deal with challenging situations and help me get the role. Lisa also ran through a few questions so I felt like I was well prepared. Once I got accepted, I needed to complete a 5 week intensive training course as well as a 4 week Level 3 Emergency Driving course. I did very well at that but it was very hard and probably the first thing I’ve ever had to revise for. I was then ready to get out on the road working on a double staffed ambulance alongside a qualified paramedic.

How have you found your new role?

It has been very eye opening and rewarding. I have to work twelve hour shifts, going to any form of emergency situation and it has made me mature a hell of a lot and I really love it. There’s a clear pathway to progress and with a lot of time and effort, I have built up a portfolio over a year to become fully qualified and am on track for a Distinction. It has involved a lot of reflective work on each job I’ve worked on and has helped me progress so that I know what I would do differently next time I’m in the same situation.

What transferable skills have you used in your new role?

You initially think all you can do is ride a horse but actually as a jockey you don’t realise how many transferable skills you’ve picked up. My new role is 80% about communicating which you have to do very well as a jockey. You also need to get up early and not get flustered in different situations which is a bit like riding a racehorse. It’s an interesting background, it’s something different and employers definitely prick their ears when they know you’ve been a jockey.

What have you found most hard about the role?

The medical terminology is hard and also you’re in straight in at the deep end and out of your comfort zone with so much to learn. You don’t know where you’re going, who you’re with or what you’re going to do when you get there. It’s sink or swim but once you’re through that, it’s brilliant.

What are your ambitions for the future?

Initially, I thought I’d see how I get on but after 4 months, I knew straight away that I wanted to aim to become a paramedic. I really want to progress and learn more. I spent a lot of years doing not a lot and now I’ve finally found something I enjoy.

What advice would you give other jockeys who’ve retired from racing and not sure what to do next?

They must speak to JETS. I should have got the ball rolling much earlier. I spent 5 years riding out and you lose yourself in that time. It took the knee injury to make me have that conversation with Phil and it has changed a lot of things in my life and changed me as a person for the better but it didn’t need to take that long so I’d advise people that it’s definitely worth exploring what else is out there. Speaking to JETS doesn’t mean you’ve given up on being a jockey or you’re not committed, it just means you’re progressing yourself as a person. I thought like that naively but if you’ve got the time, you can keep on achieving.