“For in the end,
it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life, and it is
very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work”. These are
the words that echoed from our memorable visit to Kildangan Stud, one of the
highlights of my internship. This hit home with me as I have found that my
passion for working in the thoroughbred industry has made work not feel like a
job at all. Through the HRI internship, I have been able to gain invaluable
experience working in an industry that I love.
From a young age
I have always known that I wanted a career in the thoroughbred industry. Born
and bred into a racing background, my passion for the sport has grown immensely
over the years. As I approached the end of my final year of Equine Science in
UL, I was eager to learn and expose myself to different aspects of the
thoroughbred industry. I have been lucky enough to gain invaluable experience
working in the breeding sector for some great operations including Coolmore
America in the horse capital of the world, which ignited my passion further as
I realised the abundance of career opporutnities available in the industry. I applied
for the HRI internship as I felt there was a gap in my CV and I wanted to gain
experience in the racing sector to develop my career as a well-rounded industry
professional. Naturally, I was overjoyed when I was offered the position at
Tipperary Racecourse as I knew it would give me the opportunity to do exactly
that!
I began my
internship wanting to learn something new; little did I know the incredible
variety of tasks that Tipperary Racecourse would have to offer me. It was not
long before I was hard at work and with our Family Day right around the corner,
I was faced with the challenge of promoting and organising the Family Day activities.
The activities were a big hit with the children and after hours of research and
careful planning, it was a great sense of acheivement to find out that our
attendance and profit margins for that fixture had reached an all time high.
I am grateful
for the small but dedicated team at Tipperary of Andrew Hogan, Shane Gorey and
Perry Power, as working with each of them has provided me with a great insight
into all of the various aspects that go into running a racecourse behind the scenes
that I had never been aware of before. Andrew, who is now the manager of Cork
and Tipperary Racecourses, is a prime example of how hard work and dedication
pays off. Despite the hard work, the relaxed and fun work atmosphere at
Tipperary makes the days fly by. I relish the variety of work and learning
opportunities as each day brings something new. My roles can range from social
media marketing, website maintenance and carrying out promotional campaigns to assisting
with raceday planning and track management. I’m privileged to work with a team
that allows me to have great input in creating promotional campaigns and
raceday planning during weekly meetings. On racedays, I assist in making sure
everything is running smoothly and strong relationships with racegoers, owners
and trainers are maintained.
Recently I was
assigned the task of promoting Tipperary Cancer Colour Fun Run, which will take
place on August 5th. Marketing for such an event requires a personal
touch, and it was not long before I was on the phone improving my sales
technique and communication skills, creating good relationships with sponsors
and customers alike.
I feel lucky to
have had a number of great experiences organised for myself and the other
interns by HRI throughout the internship including trips to the Irish National
Stud and Kildangan Stud with inspirational talks from Joe Osborne, Gerry Duffy
and Clodagh Kavanagh. All of their values aligned with the ethos of always
striving to improve, learn and move forward. I came away thinking, ‘How can I
add value to the industry?’ The answer is something I will carry with me going
forward; to do the best possible job with the task I have been given. I was
also privileged to promote Longines Irish Champions Weekend at the Dubai Duty
Free Irish Derby and Irish Injured Jockey’s at the RDS Dublin Horse Show.
I would highly
recommend the HRI internship as it has allowed me to gain a valuable education
in the racing industry and I have no doubt that it will serve as a great
starting point for a future in the thoroughbred industry. I would like to thank
Horse Racing Ireland, Sophie O’Hare and Claire Rushe, Andrew Hogan, Shane Gorey
and the team at Tipperary Racecourse for this wonderful opportunity.