OUR first international group of the year have just arrived from Slovakia with six female students from the vocational training college in Sala taking part in an EU-funded Erasmus Plus programme, the latest in a series of groups hosted by RACE in recent years from Central and Eastern 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.