Project Co-Ordinator
I pony clubbed and evented before doing the ‘horse course’ (International Agriculture and Equine Business Management BSc) at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. Thereafter, I completed various short-term contracts which included breaking in yearlings at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, riding timber horses in America, helping with the Press at Ascot Racecourse, taking entries for Blair Castle 3-day event, a season point to pointing and cooking in London! I joined Market Rasen racecourse as Sales and Marketing assistant in 1998. I moved to Newmarket in 2001 and spent an enjoyable 4 seasons as Racing Secretary to Jeremy Noseda. Following a move to Northamptonshire, having got married, I abandoned the 1-2 hour commute along the A14 and joined Weatherbys in 2005.
I work in an area called Business Solutions, which is basically the intermediary between IT and system users. Our clients range from Owners and Trainers who use the BHA Racing Administration website to Racecourse personnel and BHA employees or Raceday Officials. In addition, we also work with other areas within Weatherbys such as the Bank, Commercial Services and Weatherbys Chase. We are involved with IT projects from their conception, when we liaise with clients about requirements and the specification, to system testing, writing user guides and rolling out the changes. Projects can vary from organising text on the website to be changed, to investigating specific queries or co-ordinating the re-write of the Racing systems used by Weatherbys, BHA and external users.
I work quite closely with the Clerks of the Scales, the Disciplinary department and Stipendiary Stewards, but also get involved with talking to Racing Secretaries at Training days run by the Racing Schools. I am also a member of the Weatherbys team which attends Tattersalls and Doncaster Bloodstock sales.
There are no specific qualifications, although a degree shows a certain level of education and understanding. A good knowledge of Word and Excel are essential, Powerpoint is an advantage but not crucial. It’s important to have good communication skills, be inquisitive and have great attention to detail. You also need to be organised and able to prioritise your workload efficiently. A working knowledge and interest in the industry is helpful, but not vital!
Although I haven’t been on either course, the BHA Graduate scheme offers a fantastic stepping stone into the industry whilst the Darley Flying Start programme just looks amazing!
Whilst the Graduate scheme and Darley Flying Start programme offer great opportunities, if you can’t join either of these courses don’t give up. Be prepared to talk to as many people as possible, if you persevere and are determined the opportunities will come up.
The more experience you can get along the way the better, work hard, listen to what people say and take the opportunities that come your way. I feel lucky to be able to work in an industry that I enjoy so much.
