‘Racing to School taught me more in one morning about the sport’s rationale and intricacies than I learnt in years working in racing’ says guest blogger Mary Plowden from the Racing Post’s Commercial Bloodstock Department.

Growing up as an only child on a farm in the Welsh borders, it was only natural that I developed an obsession with horses, or so my justification goes.

From the age of 13 I would cycle over in my school holidays to work at a local competition yard, then at 16 came my introduction to racing with a runaway thoroughbred. Riding out in school holidays quickly developed into riding out abroad, then riding out in the mornings before university.

Passion became my job

My working life started with bid-spotting at Goffs (helping the auction of horses run smoothly), then into sales and culminating in my current role at the Racing Post in the commercial bloodstock department. I am also very pleased to be a non-executive on the committee at the Jockey Club’s Kempton Park racecourse. 

All this may sound a fairly conventional route into the sport but how lucky am I to have travelled the world and lived in places as far flung as Australia, and all from fostering a passion for horses and thanks to some incredibly generous people who gave me these opportunities.

Inspiring the next generation through Racing to School

Enter Racing to School, introducing children from different backgrounds to the possibility of these opportunities. 

Looking back, I would have given a lot to have been introduced to the sport earlier in my childhood and to have been given a deeper understanding. I was fortunate to attend a Racing to School day in the Spring at Newbury and this would have been the dream day out of school – a ‘classroom’ outside where I could see horses; being taught by an ex-jockey; running around an actual racetrack… the list goes on. 

From unpacking weighing-room jargon to discussing jockey nutrition, this day comes complete with some pretty punchy mathematics that brought back my GCSE trauma.Simply through walking the home straight and inspecting the water jump, the group of young pupils and I got the flavour of the raceday and so many of its components. 

However, the ‘take homes’ were far greater than that: dealing throughout the day with wider contentious issues and delivering lessons on such topics as healthy eating versus processed food were all handled with great sensitivity. It was wonderful to see the young people with big grins on their faces soaking up the atmosphere by the paddock, enjoying their close proximity to the horses and armed with the knowledge they had gleaned that day.

An optimistic outlook guaranteed

Racing has so many opportunities for young people, whether hands-on with horses or, more broadly, in the hospitality or events industry – in catering, facilities management and commercial roles. Racing to School introduces and advocates these opportunities to young people, even if like the Newbury group they are way off making career choices. It’s all about sowing and nurturing the seeds.

It is critical that racing fosters this message across the sport: that whatever your background there are a multitude of opportunities in horseracing for everyone. It is also crucial that once introduced to the sport via Racing to School, we do our utmost to keep engaging those children and fostering that relationship and, hopefully, their affinity with the sport.

I would encourage anyone who needs an injection of optimism to go and see a Racing to School day. To see the effect horses and the sport can have on a group of schoolchildren is not to be underestimated. It will bring a broad smile to your face.