THERE is a multinational atmosphere on campus these days as our local trainees rub shoulders with students from three different European countries and learn a little about how things work in other parts of the racing world.

AFASEC is the French organisation charged with overseeing the formation and welfare of people in their substantial racing and trotting industries and they manage a network of 12 schools, spread across the country, which provide education and training for around 650 students and apprentices.

They also operate a ‘foyer’ system for accommodation of stable staff at major training centres and offer social welfare supports for nearly 4,000 stable staff on an annual basis.

RACE has had a long association with various AFASEC schools and we have worked together as founder members of the European Association of Racing Schools in the development of common qualifications, cultural exchange and international apprentice races.

The recent group we hosted comprised 10 students from the school in Cabries, near Marseilles, some of whom were newly licensed apprentices, and they enjoyed a great introduction to Irish racing with practical training on our campus, visits to the National Stud and Kildangan, Punchestown races and some got to ride out with Curragh trainers.

Anthony Barzalona, younger brother of Mickael, was placed with Johnny Murtagh and he wore a helmet camera for much of his work and there is a nice clip now posted on Facebook of him riding up the Old Vic which gives a sense of this new experience.

By contrast, the groups we are now hosting from Czech Republic and Slovakia come from a very different environment where the racing industry is not as developed and the schools have much fewer resources. Six riders from the racing school in Prague are here on a four-week programme and are joined by four students from the vocational training college in Sala, outside Bratislava, also taking part in an EU-funded Erasmus Plus programme.

These are the latest in a series of groups hosted by RACE over the past 10 years from central Europe. These vocational training programmes are designed to promote cooperation and mobility between member countries and the group are receiving instruction in riding and stable management while improving their English language skills and learning more about Ireland and the Irish racing industry with some tours and visits.

Many of these students aspire to making careers in the horse industry, typically in the Czech Republic or Germany, and this rare opportunity to gain some international experience and see how things are done in Ireland represents an exciting opportunity and a boost to their career development. We are happy to maintain our strong relationship with these countries and will continue to take up annual invitations to send young graduates to ride in their international apprentice races later in the year.