Early-career professional Ella Bond shares her experience of taking part in the recent Racing Together Industry Day, and how it helped her understand the people and pathways that shape British racing

I’m Ella Bond, a PR and Consumer Communications Assistant at Great British Racing (GBR). My journey into the horseracing industry began last summer when I took part in the British Horseracing Authority Development Programme in Newmarket, which included lectures, tours and workshops delivered by industry professionals. I then completed an eight-week placement at the Racing Post, working across editorial in news, digital and bloodstock. During that time, I shadowed journalists during course reporting and saw the #axetheracingtax campaign in full swing.

After my placement ended in September, I spent a period working with horses before starting my role at GBR in early February. The Racing Together Industry Day at Lingfield fell on my second day in the job — an amazing opportunity to get started and dive back into the world of racing.

Industry Day keen to engage young colleagues

The offer to attend came up immediately at GBR, as the team knew that it would provide useful insight into the current issues and topics shaping the industry. I was also looking forward to the workshop element, which I hoped would help me get to know my new colleagues and others across racing. Although I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the day, I knew it would be a good opportunity to meet and connect with other industry professionals.

I was particularly interested to hear that not all the speakers came from racing, and I hoped this mix of voices would offer some fresh insight into the sport.

Learning from a range of perspectives

Hearing from people with different sporting and professional backgrounds showed how valuable those wider perspectives are, and how much racing can learn from the experiences of others.

A standout moment was listening to former professional rugby player, Vickii Cornborough speak about her time with the Red Roses while starting a family. She broadened the conversation to women in the workplace more generally, highlighting the importance of having processes in place that make everyone feel involved and welcome. Her reflections resonated across different areas of the equestrian and racing industries.

Ella Bond joins delegates in discussion at Racing Together Industry Day 2026

Understanding racing’s community

As I am just starting out in my racing career, the day was incredibly helpful in deepening my understanding of the sport’s wider community. I learned about Racing Together Community Week and gained a real sense of the scale of the racing industry — how many people are involved and the great things we can achieve when we work together.

Industry Day showed me how many different roles and organisations make up the horseracing industry and how everything is interconnected. It was inspiring to see how much collaboration already takes place across the sport.

Why Industry Day matters for young people

Key events like Racing Together’s Industry Day are so important for those beginning their careers in racing. They offer the chance to meet people who may work in completely different roles but share the same goal of making racing a great industry to be part of.

For someone like me, who is just beginning their racing career, attending Industry Day was invaluable. I would recommend others taking every opportunity to listen to the speakers, learn from their experiences and use the day to appreciate how much stronger racing is when we come together.