It is National Careers Week this week, and with students embarking on the first steps in their racing careers while with the British Racing School, here’s an explanation why horse racing is such a great industry to work in. One filled with passion and excitement, which rewards hard work and grit, and in which no day is the same. Working in horse racing will open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Picture it, the horses are in their stalls, the tension builds to a point where you can almost taste the excitement, like electricity in the air. Across the grandstand silence falls and betting slips are tightly gripped. Months of work and years of training have culminated in the next couple of minutes of action. Then, like a shot they are off! Voices are raised and hats throw in the air. The ground vibrates as the horses close in on the finish line and racegoers jump up and down cheering their winner home. The winner crosses the line to a thunderous applause, jockey pumping their fist in the air, the horse’s muscles rippling in the sunlight as they bask in the excitement of the moment. And you were a part of it, you were a key member of the team that made it happen. If this sounds like something you would like to be involved in, then working in racing might be the perfect career for you.
A career in racing is what you make of it, and can include a variety of roles, it doesn’t have to start and finish in jockey silks. While there are many exciting adventures to be had as a jockey, and several BRS (British Racing School) graduates have pursued successful careers as jockeys, there are also other ways that you could be involved in the industry. Off the track there are roles as trainers, stable staff, racing secretaries and more. Whether you would like to have a more hands on role or feel more at ease in an administrative or managerial position, every person plays an integral part in ensuring the success and future of the sport.
Once you have figured out where in horse racing you would like to fit, the world will open up to you. If you are someone that likes to travel, whether down the road to one of Newmarket’s racecourses or across the ocean to America, no dream is to big or too far out of reach. Skills you learn at each stage of your career can be transferable in more ways than you would first imagine.
At the British Racing School the comprehensive programmes cover everything from practical horsemanship to racing administration, all taught by experienced professionals who are passionate about their work and the sport.
If you are intrigued by a possible career in racing, please have a look at the courses offered at the School.
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