A jockey who switched careers to focus on neuroscience research following injury was among those celebrating at the University of Exeter’s winter graduation.

Tommy Eyston, 25, completed a Masters in Neuroscience at Exeter and received a distinction while also riding as an amateur jockey.

Having also ridden as an amateur before her studies, Tommy decided to go professional as a conditional jockey after completing an undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Bristol in 2022. As a jump jockey she competed at many prestigious events, including the Cheltenham Festival, but in 2024 returned to an amateur licence to begin her Masters at Exeter.

Tommy said: “I made the decision for a number of reasons, but injury was certainly a factor. I’d definitely recommend combining both riding and studies because for me I’ve been at my happiest when I’ve had them both on the go. Even though it can feel quite chaotic and you’ve got to be really organised and good with your time management. I think it’s good to another interest and having that balance between riding and studying has really helped me personally.”

Tommy continued to work part-time for horse trainers including Richard Mitford-Slade and Philip Hobbs during her time at Exeter. She was also provided a scholarship by the Jockeys Education and Training Scheme and in November was one of three winners at the charity’s annual Richard Davis Awards, picking up the IJF Progress Award. The Richard Davis Awards are intended to recognise riders who have made significant advances in new careers or in development of additional skills.

Tommy continued: “My interest in neuroscience has come from wanting to improve treatments for people with mental health disorders. There are a lot of problems that people face out there, and I know in racing it has definitely caused issues.”

Having finished her Masters, Tommy is now doing an internship on the ketamine-assisted therapy clinical trial at the University of Exeter. MORE-KARE is a multi-centre investigation of increasing alcohol abstinence with ketamine-assisted psychological therapy in severe alcohol use disorder.

Tommy said: “I think the skills I’ve got from riding and racing will help with research because it’s that same determination and commitment to achieve a goal. With racing there are a lot of dead-ends you might reach and with a lot of clinical trials it can be similar. I think racing builds up that resilience and work ethic you need for these careers.

“The internship should give me the relevant clinical experience to move forward into a role as a research assistant or potentially doing a PhD next year.”

MORE-KARE is sponsored by the University of Exeter and managed by the UKCRC-registered Exeter Clinical Trials Unit. This clinical trial is co-funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme and Solvonis Therapeutics.