SUCCESS is generally a product of hard work and determination - that's why the riding ranks can expect a shake-up at the Cairns racing carnivals this time next year from up-and-coming apprentice jockey Braydn Swaffer.

At a time when most kids are flat out holding one job, he has two. And when some struggle to get out of bed before midday, Braydn is up hours before the sun even thinks about peeping over the horizon.

It all starts with riding trackwork from 4am at Cannon Park – and it’s this time of year, with the Cairns Cup carnival been and gone and the Cairns Amateurs starting on Friday, that makes it all worthwhile.

While he watches from inside the fence this year, it still gets the 16-year-old’s heart pumping.

"It gets the adrenalin up that’s for sure,’’ Braydn said.

"Watching just makes me sick of sitting on the sidelines – I want to get out there and do it."

Hailing from Gordonvale, also the breeding ground of top Perth jockey Campbell McCallum, Swaffer is on target to be riding winners at the carnivals this time next year.

Once the Cairns Cup swings around again, he’s likely to have at least six months of competitive riding under his belt.

"I go to Brisbane next month for pre-race training then hopefully I can start riding in races before Christmas," he said.

He grew up with horses around him on the family’s small Gordonvale property, where they all competed in horse sports – eventing and pony club.

Last September Braydn was offered an apprenticeship by Cairns premiership-winning trainer Trevor Rowe, who noticed the hard-working rider.

"He’s got a really good work ethic, and he’s going along very nicely," Rowe said.

Swaffer now hopes to ride winners to repay his boss.

"Trev has done a lot to help get me going," he said. "I couldn’t ask for a better boss. Hopefully, one day I’ll make it to the big smoke and repay Trev for all he’s done for me."

Swaffer has now ridden more than 30 unofficial trials in Townsville, Toowoomba, Cairns and Mareeba – where he won his first trial on Royal Impact.

He now needs to ride in 20 official trials before riding competitively. With no other young riders coming through the ranks in the region, when he does make his first race appearance, he’s likely to be the only jockey under the age of 30.

Braydn hasn’t got his driver’s licence yet, and relies on his father Andrew to drive him to work in the mornings.

"He gets up at about 3.30am, and I’ve never had to wake him up to go to work," Andrew said.

While his son rides up to 10 horses each morning, Andrew helps out around the stables, then the pair head off together to work at Swaffer’s Painting Service – where Braydn is also an apprentice painter at his uncle Rodney’s business.

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