THE transition from Ireland to England came easier than this Darley Flying Start trainee expected. A change in currency, adjusting to new accents and allowing the horse the right of way haven’t caused personal upheaval yet. I’d say the biggest transition has been forcing all 12 of us into one house for the seven weeks we are based here. Although, given the house has eight bedrooms and massive living areas, it is hardly a squash! My family and friends in the States all asked for video footage, expecting a ‘real world Newmarket’ atmosphere. Hopefully, there aren’t cameras hidden throughout the house! I don’t think we 12 trainees are dramatic enough for reality television anyway.

Since our time in Newmarket is short, our schedule is jam-packed to ensure we learn and experience as much as possible while living in this industry influenced town. We are separated into three groups of four for weekly rotations between the British Racing School, Darley pre-training and the Dalham Hall offices. We spend our mornings based in each location weekly and our afternoons are filled with visits and lectures. We are incredibly fortunate to tour some of the best organisations in the English industry including stud farms, veterinary hospitals, racecourses and training yards, not to mention meeting some of the best professionals in the sport.

Senior Stewards debate

The first week we were in Newmarket we attended the first annual Senior Stewards debate in the Jockey Club rooms. Sitting in the historic Coffee Room, where our organised sport began, we listened to top industry minds and discussed issues in British racing with 100 fellow young professionals. There are few enough platforms that bring together the young people of this industry, the YITBA being one excellent example and now this event based in Newmarket is another. It was a privilege to be included in the inaugural event and we wish them the best of luck in the future as many of us want to continue to be involved. The debate was a great way to kick-off our time in Newmarket and the weeks following have been full with continued learning of how the industry operates here in England.

We’ve been racing several times, including the end of the flat meeting in Newmarket and all-weather racing in Lingfield, and for many of us we had our first exposure to jumps racing as we made our way across the country to the Open Meeting at Cheltenham.

From the tweed to the fur to the incredible back drop of quality racing, Cheltenham was quite possibly the most British thing I have ever seen. Despite the construction at the racecourse, the crowds were enormous. I can’t get over how many people were there. The silence of held breath as each obstacle was taken and then the noise from the crowd as each race finished make Cheltenham an experience unlike any other. I am in awe of the popularity of jumps racing here and am so glad we made the trip to see it in action.

NO WESTERN SADDLE

Aside from our racing weekends, eight of us have been through our rotation in the British Racing School. I should tell you that the rotation groups were determined based on our riding ability in order to get the most out of our time in the BRS. Despite spending most of my childhood in the saddle, the majority of riding in Ireland and England and especially at the BRS is fundamentally the opposite of what I learned growing up (no western saddles over here). Therefore I was rightfully placed in the `beginner group’ and let me tell you, what an entertaining group we were. I actually fell off twice, but like my mother taught me I got right back on! Let’s just say while the BRS was a highlight of my time on the Darley Flying Start so far, it’s a good thing I’m not a jockey.

Our weekly rotations have been broken up these two weeks for the Tattersalls Foal and Breeding Stock Sales, where we have been pleased to see the continuation of a strong market. While we only have a short time left here, there is a lot to look forward to as we head into December. We have full day workshops dedicated to media skills, racecourse management and business law, among other important topics, and even several more visits as well as our final practical rotations.

Newmarket has been an amazing experience. It is rich in horse racing history and we are so fortunate to spend time immersed in this culture. Our time here has been quick, but as the holidays approach, we all realise we have more to be thankful for this year than ever before.

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