Rebecca Donovan updates us on her final travels throughout the UK before she embarks on her journey home, but not before gaining experience at both Jamie Richards Racing in Hong Kong and Kick Collective in Australia.
It has officially been 6 months that I have been living in a dream in the UK and Ireland. Sometimes it’s still a bit hard to digest that I have been so lucky to receive this opportunity. Since I have last updated you all, I have completed my placement at Roger Varian’s Carlburg stables, spent a few days with Rossdales vets in Newmarket and finished off my UK stint with some bid spotting back at Goffs.
Rogers stable is headlined by the great Charyn, who while I was there went on to victory in the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) and subsequently staked his claim to be the best miler in Europe. He also has had names such as Eldar Eldarov, Postponed, Belardo, and King of Steel through his yard. Going into my placement, I was very open about the fact that I had very little knowledge of a racing yard, having only stepped foot in a racing yard to pick up and drop off horses over the last few years. I was in good company at Rogers, being looked after by two flying start graduates who understood the things I may like to see and experience while on this placement. Over the years Roger has set up his ‘Carlburg stables’ to have everything needed to manage a large number of racehorses on the property through racing and rehab, including 5 horse walkers, a swimming pool, a treadmill and a saltwater spa.
I spent a lot of time with Rogers vet, helping with routine scoping and x-rays, watching examinations and seeing the day-to-day management of the Newmarket athletes. I would also often find myself out on the heath with the assistant trainers, watching the horses work mainly on the Warren hill side of town. I also accompanied some of the horses to both the July course and Rowley mile to watch them gallop on the racecourse. Here I got to see Charyn on one of his final gallops before heading off to France for his subsequent win, as well as a few up-and-coming young fillies he is excited about. These visits were one of the highlights of my time at the stable! I enjoyed understanding the role of an assistant trainer and what they manage and look for while watching the horses during work. I also found the time I spent with the head lads doing their rounds and checking legs extremely beneficial, and I have great respect for the care and detail they put into their work with the horses in the yard.
Towards the end of my stay at Rogers I was lucky enough to attend two race meets with the team. I got to accompany the assistant trainers and owners, help saddle and parade. We were even able to step foot in the winner's circle! Both Nottingham and Royal Windsor reminded me of some of our courses at home, set on the outskirts of town and having a very relaxed atmosphere. The latter of the two, Royal Windsor, was a Racing league meeting. The ‘Racing League’ is a team-based competition, spanning 6 evenings, 42 races and with over 2 million pounds of prize money up for grabs over the series. How can racing be a team-based competition you may ask? The UK is split into 7 areas (also including Ireland as an area) each with nominated trainers, jockeys and a team captain. Teams are allocated a colour, silks and uniform for the strappers. Two horses per team can be nominated per race, with points being awarded for placings towards the team's total tally. It is based on Premier League football, and racegoers are encouraged to support their team. Jockeys are encouraged to interact with the public, with games/challenges, signings and interviews going on throughout the evening. We were a part of ‘The North’ with the Love Island contest and racing advocate Chris Hughes as the team leader. The whole idea is to encourage a new way to interact with racing and raise the profile of jockeys, trainers and racing in general!
My three weeks at Carlburg Stables went by all too quickly and with great sadness I said my goodbyes and headed off to my last stop in Newmarket. During my first week, I happened to bump into an old family friend from where I grew up in Kaitaia, who now happened to be a director at one of the two Equine vet clinics serving Newmarket. My time spent with them was the perfect way to end my time in the English Horse Racing capital. My highlight was getting to visit well over two dozen different racing yards and studs as well as a tour of the equine hospital. I got a small tour of Cheveley Park including their foaling unit and yearling barn which was bustling in the height of prep. During my three days, I was involved in sales scoping and X-rays, lameness exams, post-treatment/surgery check-ups and morning and evening racing yard visits. I was also very intrigued to note that geldings are performed sedated with local and standing in the horse's box! I then moved on to my final placement in the UK. This took me back to Doncaster and Goffs to help at their premier sale.
The Goffs premier sale was a full circle moment and I was very excited to be invited back. During my time at the office in Scotland, I sat in on selection discussions, shadow-marked pedigrees and even went on a few farm visits to shadow the bloodstock agents during inspections. On the day before the sale, I headed out into the paddock alongside one of the auctioneers to inspect the lots he would be selling alongside some lots they accepted for the sale. On the day of the sale, I headed out to inspect some of my catalogue highlights before we settled in for some big days of bid spotting. I loved coming back to Goffs. As it was my first stop originally in England, it was also a time for me to reflect on my growth and development since arriving.
I will now start making my way home. First, with a stop in Hong Kong for two weeks to be based with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and then for three weeks in Australia with Kick Collective. I am looking forward to both these stops as they will be entirely different to what I have done so far on the scholarship
