08 September 2025

Racing to School marks 250,000th participant milestone with special event at Catterick

On Tuesday, September 9th, the education charity Racing to School will welcome its 250,000th participant since the programme began in 2001. In its first year, Racing to School supported 1,000 pupils for a unique day of curriculum-based learning and has now grown to a record annual participation of 17,500. This expansion is in response to a demand for its work delivering horseracing’s largest community-facing programme, offering activities linked to school studies in a real-world environment.

To mark this milestone, pupils from Cambrai Primary School in North Yorkshire will enjoy a special two-part event, beginning with a visit to Highbeck Lodge Stables where trainer Jedd O’Keeffe and his team will provide a unique insight into the daily routine of a working yard. The group will then travel the short distance to Catterick racecourse to enjoy more activities and to experience the thrill of live racing action, many of them for a first time.

John Blake, Chief Executive of Racing to School, said: “For the charity to reach its 250,000^th beneficiary in just under 25 years of providing our programmes is a great tribute to our team. We receive wide support from across racing, including our host racecourses nationwide and our many funders who have invested in the charity’s evolution and expansion.

“Specific thanks must go to the team at Jedd O’Keeffe’s yard and to Catterick for helping us to recognise this achievement, and also to the Horserace Betting Levy Board who have been a vital and longstanding supporter of Racing to School.”