APPLICATIONS are now open for students and graduates from colleges and universities across the country for five internships with Horse Racing Ireland for the summer of 2016. Placements will be made in each of the four HRI racecourses – Fairyhouse, Navan, Leopardstown and Tipperary, as well as HRI headquarters in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

Having being a successful candidate last year I would strongly advise third level students and graduates with an interest in any aspect of the racing industry to apply.

The internships will begin at the end of May 2016 and will run for 10-12 weeks. Students at the four HRI tracks will be required to assist in many areas of racecourse operations such as marketing, ticket sales, social media, website management and race day operations. The head office based intern will carry out a variety of tasks including marketing, social media operations and website maintenance.

The successful interns will keep a log of their work and learning experience throughout the internship and compose an account of their experience, which will be published by The Irish Field.

HRI seek to give the intern a broad experience and he or she has the opportunity to experience a variety of trips during the course of their internship to a number of training and breeding establishments, where they will meet with some of the leading players in the Irish bloodstock industry. Last year we were fortunate enough to attend Kildangan Stud, The National Stud, trainer Eddie Lynam’s stables and also racing in Naas and Leopardstown as part of the programme. Interns receive a huge amount of support from HRI, which enables the successful applicant to enjoy and benefit from the entire experience.

Commenting on the initiative, Carol Nolan, Human Resource manager at HRI said: “The Student Internship Programme is an excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable insights into the world of work within Horse Racing Ireland and its racecourses. As a business, we really look forward to seeing the students arrive every year.”

The deadline for applications is Monday March 7th, following which suitable candidates will be called for interview. Successful candidates will receive a weekly payment. Applications should be sent to Kate O’Sullivan, Marketing Department, Horse Racing Ireland, Ballymany, The Curragh, Co Kildare.