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My daughter was at the Racing College with one of the girls who looked after Synchronised. She was featured on Channel 4. I was so thrilled for her when he won the Gold Cup. I can only imagine she is completely distraught after this awful tragedy
.After his shannigans before the race I was secretly hoping he wouldn’t be allowed to race. If only.
This is a Racing Forum and surely if you love racing you’d be concerned that things are not right in the racing industry whether it be race fixing or the treatment of young staff.
I don’t doubt there are other places where abuses take place but we’re talking here about the so called "Sport of Kings", a multi million pound industry that is currently trying to reach out to the wider public. How appealing can it be while these practices continue?
If your daughter told you some of the things that happened to her and she worked on a racing yard you would worry every day for her well being both on and off the yard. We had to spend a lot of time and effort trying to repair the damage. I don’t have much knowledge of bad practice in other places. I can only talk about the things I know.
I am glad this has generated some discussion as it does need to brought into the open. Nor1 and I have obviously known and spoken to people who have had really bad times and that is why we have such strong opinions.
An excellent idea from Nor regarding the minimum training period
.I am just a parent. I enjoy horse racing though I rarely gamble. I just feel that young people get a very raw deal when they pursue what for many is a dream and don’t forget many of them go into racing because they love horses. My daughter loved her work. It wasn’t the horses that let her down, it was the people.
One other thing, before you all get sick of me, girls in partcular are treated very unfairly. A much higher percentage of girls make up the college numbers and racing yards would fall apart without them but they are second class citizens in many yards and don’t even get me started on the way some of the Indian lads are treated.
Right, I’m off my soap box now but all of you that love your racing, spare a thought for the lad/lass leading up your possible winner. They do an awful lot for often not a great deal.
Thank you for all your kind words and comments.
Sadly some of the events should have been reported to the police or regulatory bodies – yes they were THAT serious.
The problem in Newmarket in particular seems to be that many a trainer will sack you on the spot if you dare to complain. Loss of a job means loss of income and accomodation so nothing ever really gets done.
Someone on this forum has given me some good advice about what I can still do but as both my daughter and her Swedish friend have now left racing completely disillusioned, there seems little point.
The Swedish girl stayed with us to recover and has now returned to Sweden. She doesn’t even want to work with horses anymore.
For my daughter things are much brighter. She decided to use her skills in another field and travels to different countries working as a trail guide. She is about to go to Denmark to start a new job there.
A lot of money is spent on courses at the racing schools but they don’t really prepare students for life outside of the college. At the college you are provided with a bed, food, instructors with time and patience to help you move on.
Once you leave college, you’re more or less on your own, away from home at the age of 16. People of that age are very vulnerable and easy to exploit. The drug problem is rife in Newmarket and while the powers that be say they are addressing it, there is little evidence of that.
If you have connections i.e. Daddy is a trainer or jockey you’ll be looked after. The rest in my opinion are not valued and are easily replaced with more fresh meat from the colleges. It’s a scandal that really needs addressing.
My daughter went into the racing industry at 16 after loving horses ever since she was very young. The Northern Racing College sent her out as apprentice material.Despite that she had a horrific time of it.
The first trainer she was sent to wouldn’t even let her ride and both working and living conditions were completely unacceptable. Almost every employment rule in the book was broken and the trainer was removed from the college lists. I hasten to add that the trainer in question is still out there.
She then went to Newmarket and experienced things no young person should have to go through.When she left her last trainer he told her that Newmarket is a very bad place for young people and she was too nice a girl to be ruined by it.
The support is very limited and trainers have a duty of care to their often very young employees which many seem to forget. We had to "rescue" a Swedish friend of my daughter’s from Newmarket after she had an unspeakable time with her last trainer. She came to this country full of hope. Her parents were so proud of her going to work in a centre of excellence. She couldn’t even tell them what had happened to her. She told us and we were horrified.
I’m sorry to rant but it’s a subject I’m extremely passionate about. I am not surprised that there is corruption in racing but the industry still operates like it’s in the dark ages. Racing takes young people, chews them up and spits them out.
My daughter left school at 16 to pursue a career in racing. Sadly at 18, having been the youngest person to ever sign a contract at Jeremy Noseda’s yard she had to quit due to an ongoing shoulder injury
.She picked herself up and has used her skill and love of horses to work and travel, albeit not in racing.
She has worked in Italy, France, Romania and unfortunately Egypt (Cairo) where she is currently stuck!
She is intelligent and was university material but it wasn’t for her. She was keen to work with horses and is very ambitious. I’m so glad she chose the route she did. It must be soul destroying to work so hard to obtain a degree only to feel at the end of it that you’re on the scrap heap.
My daughter is still only 20 but has a CV to be envied. We are so proud of her.
My interest in racing has developed since my daughter decided to work in the industry. I watch it purely for pleasure so I don’t mind coming out of the closet and admitting I’m a Thommo fan
.He comes across well and from my point of view, hugely likeable – a rare thing for me in racing media types.
Right, I’ll get me coat……..
Just terribly sad and my heart goes out to their families. These young people leave home at an early age to work in an occupation which has a high risk of injury. As a parent, you half expect the phone to ring to say your child has sustained an injury. The very last thing you expect is to be told that they are gone from you and you will never see them or speak to them again
.A senseless act that has caused so much heartache
!From what I could see Sam gave him the best ride he could. I don’t see how anyone else could have made a difference.
The news has moved me to tears
. Such a brave horse. I feel so sad for all connections but particularly for the lad/lass that looked after him. They’ll be going back with an empty horse box and an empty heart.R.I.P.
My daughter attended the BRS for several weeks but had to leave due to illness. When she recovered, she didn’t want to go back as it just didn’t suit her.
However, her heart was set on a racing career so she applied to the Northern Racing College, was accepted and she really loved it there.
Upon leaving there, she was sent to a trainer who shall remain nameless but treated her very badly.
She then worked at Mark Tompkins in Newmarket for a year and learnt a lot. She is now working at Jeremy Noseda’s and is very happy there. She has plans to go abroad in a few years.
It can be hard work. You ride out in all sorts of weathers and there will be ups and downs. However, if you’re doing something you love, you’ll be fulfilled and happy.
Good luck!
Yes he made mistakes and he’s paid for them but how on earth is he supposed to move on when he’s still being reminded of the error of his ways
.Not the best motivational tactics!Still, it doesn’t surprise me. The more I find out about the way people who work in racing can be treated, the more I despair
.I find the fashion coverage vacuous and boring. Most of the hats are quite simply ridiculous and I don’t understand what it’s got to do with racing and I’m female
.That cat walk thing they did yesterday was cringeworthy. I don’t want to watch people in overpriced clothes and impractical shoes getting their 30 seconds in the spotlight.
I’m not a punter. I just enjoy the racing. If they must have features to fill the gaps, I’d rather see stable visits and/or interviews with the people who are actually involved in the business of horse racing. For intance, I enjoyed the interview with Alan Munro who seems an interesting person.
Don’t even get me started on Willie Carson……..
. He’s like an irritating fly you want to squash flat with a big, hard book .As some of you already know, my daughter is currently a stable lass/work rider for Mark Tompkins in Newmarket.
She is very happy in her work and is well treated by all staff. She has no complaints and has the utmost respect for her boss.
However, her experience with another trainer in Newark was a very negative experience with a numbeof illegal work practices going on. I shall say no more on that matter other than I hope no other young person ever gets sent there to work as it left my daughter depresssed and disillusioned.
Despite having good GCSE results, she chose to work in racing because she loves horses. She has had a stable family background and knows we are there for her every step of the way.
She is careful with her money and does not smoke, rarely drinks and does not do drugs. In fact her only extravagance is joining the leisure club at the Bedford Lodge Hotel to help her keep fit. She is also able to save a bit each week too.
Whatever human bad behaviour there is does not interest her unless it affects the horses.
I know there are some tragic stories surrounding young people in racing. My daughter has already experienced the suicide of a friend. I just want people to know that it’s not all doom and gloom and that provided the correct employment practices and support are in place, racing can be a great career for young people.
Having seen this post I rushed out at lunchtime & purchased ‘The Best of Depeche Mode’ – seen them in concert & they were fantastic.
I’ve now got ‘Master & Servant’ blasting out.
"You treat me like a dog, got me down on my knees
Let’s play Master and Servant"Yay, well done Princess
! Fab song, fab group. My friends on a Depeche Mode forum will be inpressed .Dave Gahan still looks stunning and that’s a miracle in itself considering all the stuff he imbibed and injected into himself
!Depeche Mode are in the studios recording a new album as we speak. Hope there’ll be a tour to support it.
They’d be in my list too Burroughhill, along with:
Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode)
Brad Pitt
"The Bill" Holy Trinity – Smithy, Neil Manson and Mickey
Tarkan (Turkish singer)
Kevin BeattyI tend to go for pretty men who are not effeminate and like Burrough, fit but not beefcake types. Sean Bean would be my bit of rough but he would have to wear his "Sharpe"uniform
.Right now, I’d trade them all in for Sam………sigh
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.Not the best motivational tactics!
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