The British Horseracing Authority is the governing body for the horse racing industry in the United Kingdom. As part of its work, the BHA manages Careers In Racing, which is a portal of information on careers across the whole of the industry.
The team responsible for it runs marketing campaigns to bring new people into the world of horse racing, offering pathways to audiences from people of school age through to those that are looking to change their careers. More than 1,000 jobs a year are processed through the website’s job board, making it the place to look if you need a job in the industry.
You can open an account and sign up for job alerts, which can be more personalised if you upload your CV so that people know what your abilities are. It isn’t just about linking people to jobs, however. Careers in Racing is designed to offer guidance on the horse racing industry to those that are keen to learn more about it. They implement recruitment, yes, but the organisation is also responsible for the education of those outside of the industry, training for those in it or joining it and launching community initiatives for the industry as a whole.
Examples Of Jobs On Offer
If you head to the Careers in Racing website, you’ll be presented with a jobs board that offers a wealth of different opportunities for those looking to get involved in the racing industry. Here are some of the categories on offer:
- Apprenticeships
- Early Career Programmes
- Grounds & Maintenance
- Horse Care
- Hospitality & Events
- Management & Legal
- Marketing, PR & Communications
- Media & Journalism
- Office & Administration
- Regulation & Governance
- Sales & Sponsorship
- Volunteering & Community
Of those, there is little doubt that Horse Care is the most popular area where jobs are on offer. At the time of writing, there are 163 opportunities available in Horse Care, with the next closest being both Grounds & Maintenance and Office & Administration, both of which have ten opportunities on offer.
Plenty Of Variation
To those that don’t know a huge amount about the horse racing industry, it might come as a surprise to learn just how many different job opportunities there are. If you were to head to a racecourse or watch on television, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the main roles involved in the world of horse racing were jockey, trainer and the person that throws water over the horses at the end of a race. In reality, there is a wide variety of jobs that you can apply for, depending on the likes of your experience, your ability and where you’re based.
As an example, you could apply to be a rider / box driver in York, a stud hand / estate maintenance person in Dorset or or an exercise rider in Berkshire. It also isn’t just entry-level roles that are on offer, with a yard manager being sought in Newmarket, a stud manager role in near Dorchester on offer and a barn manager position available in Northern Ireland. It is also worth mentioning that all of those positions are specifically in the Horse Care section of the jobs board, with other roles available elsewhere.
Big Employers Use The Site
The link between Careers in Racing and the British Horseracing Authority can be seen clearly by the quality of the companies that put jobs up with CiR. From major businesses such as Arena Racing Company and Dubai Racing Club through to specific horse racing companies like James Owen Racing and Twemlows Stud Farm. If you’re keen to get a job in racing then it is unquestionably the best place to start to give yourself the best possible chance of success. Most of the companies offer pathways to improve your career too.
You can also get involved at courses, with Ascot Racecourse looking for an Events Operations Manager, for example. It is a way of ensuring that it isn’t just small roles that are sought by those signing up to the site. Instead, people at all stages of their racing career are welcomed, which is why it is such a useful resource. It is a place to go to learn all sorts about the industry, not the least of which is just how many people are involved in getting something like a race meeting up and running, working together for the greater good.
A Good Resource For Careers Advice
Whilst Careers in Racing, as the name suggests, is the place to head if you’re looking to get a job in the racing industry, it is also a solid resource for those of you that wish to simply learn more about racing as a whole. You can learn about early careers programmes as well as training, for example. There are many different programmes depending on the stage of career you’re in, with many of the courses being free to do. It presents people with the opportunity to learn more about a career in racing and the industry as a whole.
It is also worth pointing out that it isn’t just people that are new to racing that can take advantage of what the Careers in Racing site has to offer. Those that are already working but are keen to get some careers advice can do just that. There is a team of people that are always on hand to offer both advice and support to those looking to change careers to something different within the same industry. It is also possible to get both careers coaching and financial support for training courses, which is ideal for those that want to change careers but aren’t sure they can afford to.
Of course, you might well know that you want to change career and even have an idea of the career that you’d like to change to, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll know how to go about it. Careers in Racing offer advice on how to produce a great CV, meaning that you’ll be able to put your best foot forward when applying for a job. You can also turn to them for interview tips, so you will know how to handle yourself when you get in the room. Candidates are offered a wealth of guidance, ensuring that the stand the best possible chance of success.