Beautiful memories that will torture a father

Gerry Kyne has also revealed how he was overcome by a sense of foreboding in the hours leading up to the tragedy about to unfold hundreds of miles away.

He said: "Some sort of concern came over me the day before. Something was going to go wrong. I just had this overwhelming loneliness for Jamie. I mentioned it two or three times. It struck me to give him a call.

"I thought I would have a chat with him. But then it got to 11.30 on the night it happened.

"Because it was so late I decided I would ring him in the morning. I thought there is nothing to worry about. He was in his bed. Little did I know it was the one place where he was going to end up in trouble."

Since the tragedy he and his family had gone through more pain than they could possibly have imagined.

"People say you have got your memories. And I have – beautiful memories. But it is the memories that torture you," he continued.

"All those memories were beautiful memories but the pain they bring now is immense."

Jamie, who was working for trainer John Quinn, had moved out to Malton because he felt he had to get away from the stables and have more freedom.

He had ridden horses all his life and had his heart set on becoming a champion jockey when most children are still playing with Lego.

"I used to trot him around on a pony and show him how to fall. We used to call him 'the bubble' because he was so small on the horse he looked like a little bubble. He was born around horses. It was in the blood."

Jamie could have excelled in any sport. He hurled and boxed – becoming an All Ireland Champion. His father thought his boy's future was in the ring. But Jamie, aged 12, told him: "No. I'm going to be a jockey and I'm going to be a champion jockey'."

The breakthrough came when Jamie was riding a horse at Breeze Up sales, where young horses are run for three furlongs instead of the usual five to show buyers how they gallop and stride.

He was spotted by Yorkshire-based trainer Declan Carroll who was buying horses. Mr Carroll said: "He was riding in a field. He used to sit up well.

"He introduced himself to me and said he wanted to be a jockey and that's how it all began."

Mr Kyne added: "Another time Jamie and one of his brother's took two ponies out. Jamie's had never been in the water before. The moment her feet went into water she bucked and carried on bucking all the way down stream but Jamie stayed on her with a grin on his face."

Jamie took it very seriously.

Once when he was racing, and had already ridden one winner, another rider cut across him, denying him his second victory of the day.

His mount's legs went from under him and both horse and rider cartwheeled, breaking Jamie's finger in three places.

"I was thinking how on earth they were going to get the glove off. But Jamie just bit his lip. He had no fear and loved the game," Mr Kyne said.

"When he got his finger put in a cast all he was concerned about was whether he could ride on Sunday. When the doctor told him he could not ride for three weeks I can still remember the look on his face."

Jamie had fewer qualms about leaving Ireland than Mr Kyne did, even though father and son were in touch constantly by phone.

Safety was always at the back of his mind. "I always gave him a buzz on the way back from a race. I used to time it," he added.

However, everything seemed to be going fine. "He seemed so happy at Malton. He was happy about getting his own place," Mr Kyne continued.

"He said he was getting on with everyone there grand. He was very happy." He would have phone conversations with Jamie on speaker phone with his flatmates listening in.

Mr Kyne added: "They would say 'Don't worry Mr Kyne. We'll look after him. He is a good kid.' Declan rang once to say 'Your young fellow is going to make it to the top'.

"I said 'How do you figure that out?' He said there was another apprentice here and Jamie was helping him out. He had no fear of competition. He had no jealousy of anybody."

Mr Carroll added: "He was a good little jockey with a big future ahead of him. He was a good kid and a natural rider – a lovely lad. Jamie was a popular member of the team. Everyone liked him."

Jamie was doing well at Mr Carroll's where he had ridden his first winner Birkside. But he had other offers and chose to go with John Quinn's stables near Malton.

He had everything to look forward to. He was going home to Ireland for three weeks at the end of the season and then he was going to the United States.to improve his riding.

Even in death, Jamie had been an inspiration. "When he used to get out the car to go boxing he used to flail his arms about and say 'the fighting times are here'.

"That is one of the reasons we have not fallen about crying. As a family we wanted to remain strong because Jamie was a very strong kid. Jamie and Jan were very similar – both very keen and dedicated bubbly characters."