Panel announced for WiR AGM

wir 4 years

Join us at 12.30pm on Wednesday 23rd October for our Annual General Meeting.

Hear latest updates and key information from the Women in Racing committee, and look ahead to future plans.

To include a panel discussion with the theme “On equal terms: women in racing through time”

An interactive exploration of the roles of women in British horseracing. Charting successes, changes over time, and opportunities for improvement.

Broadcaster Aly Vance will host the panel, including:

Ali Donnelly

Ali Donnelly is the CEO of More than Equal, an organisation dedicated to finding the first female Formula 1 world champion. She joined More than Equal with wide experience in sport, communications and marketing.

At Sport England she was an Executive Director, looking after marketing, communications, digital and innovation. In her time there, she led communications for some of the most high-profile moments in UK sport including the publication of the Whyte Review, which explored abuse in British Gymnastics, while she also oversaw major campaigns including the award winning This Girl Can which encourages women and girls to be more active.

Prior to this she held senior communications roles for the UK Government, where her positions included Deputy Official Spokesperson and Head of News for Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street and Head of News at HM Treasury.She has also held senior communications and marketing roles at Premiership rugby club Wasps and BBC.

She is heavily involved in women’s rugby in a variety of roles, including founding the award-winning website Scrumqueens.com and she has recently published the first book exploring the 100 years + history of the game. Ali started her career after graduating with a degree in politics, as a journalist at the Evening Echo newspaper in Ireland.

Dr Kate Clayton Hathway

Dr Kate Clayton-Hathway, is an Associate Researcher with the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice at Oxford Brookes Business School. She led both the 2017 diversity project for the horseracing industry and the 2020 Racing Home study. Kate’s research specialism is in gender equality within organisational structures, and she is particularly interested in promoting progressive institutional change. She is also an activist, and supports a women’s educational charity in Oxfordshire.

Lyndon Roberts

Lyndon Roberts is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience advancing diversity and inclusion within the sports industry. Throughout his career, he has championed initiatives that foster equity, representation, and inclusivity, particularly for women in sports. His insights have contributed to creating more inclusive environments across various sports governing bodies including football, rugby, netball and currently in motorsport. Lyndon brings an experience of Horseracing having been Head of D&I for 12 months at the BHA and a strong commitment to driving positive change in the sector.

Tara Warren

Tara is an Independent Non-Executive Director, at the British Horseracing Authority. Tara formally took up her appointment on 1 December 2023, having been acting in an observer capacity on the BHA Board since May 2023. Tara is an Executive Director and Board member at West Ham United Football Club. She has a strong commercial background and extensive experience in digital marketing. Tara leads the delivery of the club’s strategic and commercial priorities, including its broadcast rights, stadium and stakeholder management, domestic and international growth and digital and data functions. She is also the Director responsible for the club’s equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy. Tara is the BHA Board’s Diversity & Inclusion Champion.

A regular racegoer, prior to joining West Ham, Tara held a number of marketing, commercial and business development roles, including with estates management company, Savills UK, Romford-based shopping and leisure centre, The Brewery, and Morgan Stanley.

Panel discussion:

As a sport where female jockeys compete on equal terms with their male counterparts, British racing has been ahead of many other sports in terms of participation. Women are trailblazing at the highest levels competitively and in the boardroom and circa 70% of racing school intake is female. We ask – how can we better support and retain our female workforce, and strive to lead the sport industry in enabling women to succeed?

During the discussion our expert panellists will cover: progress and areas to celebrate, what are the gaps, how can the sport retain more of its female workforce and what are the issues? The panel will also explore Dr Eleanor Boden’s PhD research summary ‘Where did all the girls go?’, published in December 2023.

This free webinar is available to all, regardless of gender or WiR membership. Book your place here.

Review: WiR Dalham Hall Visit on 9th August 2024

On 9th August, more than 40 members and guests of WiR had the incredible opportunity to spend half a day at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, the headquarters of Godolphin’s global breeding operation.

The day began with a warm welcome from WiR committee member Cheryl Caves, who provided a brief overview of WiR’s ethos and the benefits of membership. Dawn Laidlaw, Head of Nominations, then greeted the group and shared a history of the stud, outlining what they could expect during the visit.

In the beautiful summer sunshine, attendees took a short walk from the stud offices to the stallion paddocks, where they had the chance to see the true stars of the day up close. The legendary DUBAWI was naturally the main attraction, but his remarkable son TOO DARN HOT also proved to be a crowd favourite, with plenty of selfies taken with him.

The tour continued with a visit to the stallion yard and covering shed, followed by a delicious lunch kindly provided by Godolphin.

After lunch, everyone gathered for a panel discussion featuring Dido Harding, Dawn Laidlaw, Rachel Flynn, Sarah Guest, Naomi Mellor, and Simone Sear. Chaired by Cheryl Caves, the panellists introduced themselves and shared their journeys into the world of racing.

The ensuing discussion was both wide-ranging and informative, covering topics including the benefits of mentoring and what advice the panellists would give to a woman starting out in the industry.

A video of the panel discussion and Q&A is available on the WiR YouTube feed.

If you are interested in finding out more about the mentoring programme, visit our website or email mentoring@womeninracing.co.uk.

Meet the Panel – Dalham Hall Stud Visit

Join us for this fantastic opportunity to network with other WiR members and supporters in the beautiful surroundings of Dalham Hall Stud.

We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to visit the iconic Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, headquarters of Darley’s global stallion operation and home to stallions including CRACKSMAN, MODERN GAMES, PALACE PIER, TOO DARN HOT and reigning GB/IRE Champion Sire DUBAWI. Tickets are open to everyone but places are strictly limited.

Key information (exact timings will be confirmed on booking):

  • 11am arrive at Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket
  • Tea/coffee & networking opportunity
  • Chance to view some of the Darley stallions & tour stallion yard
  • Lunch & networking
  • Panel Q&A discussion on mentoring & panel experiences working in racing
  • 3pm close

As part of this event we will be hosting a panel Q&A session discussing a variety of topics including mentoring, the panel’s experiences working in the racing industry and what advice they would give to other women either starting out in the industry or wishing to further their careers.

Meet the Panel

BARONESS DIDO HARDING

Since 2018, Dido has been a Steward of the Jockey Club and in July 2024 became the first female Senior Steward in the Club’s 272 year history.  She was an amateur jockey for twenty years, with 25 winners to her name, and has been a racehorse owner all her adult life.

DAWN LAIDLAW

Head of Nominations at Darley, Dawn has been instrumental in setting up development training courses for the Darley sales and marketing departments both in the UK and Ireland and is a member of the in-house Godolphin mentoring programme.

RACHEL FLYNN

Partner at Keystone Law and employment lawyer with a specialism in the horseracing and equine industries. Rachel is a former amateur jockey and part-owner of 2 broodmares.

SARAH GUEST

Winner of the Leadership and Employee of the Year Award at the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards and Assistant Trainer to John O’Shea. Sarah is also a NARS representative, checking racecourse facilities and ensuring the welfare of staff and horses.

NAOMI MELLOR

Founder of Everybody Media and the International Women’s Podcast Awards, Naomi is host of the Racing Home podcast. A qualified vet she also works with Simply Racing on the Racing Home project.

SIMONE SEAR 

A certified health & wellbeing coach, qualified counsellor, and workplace wellbeing consultant, Simone was formerly Director of Welfare at Racing Welfare.

Book your tickets here now to secure your place.

Racing Foundation Conference: Funded Tickets Available via WiR

The Racing Foundation is generously offering five WiR members a chance to attend the Racing Foundation Conference as a complimentary guest to take advantage of the packed agenda and industry networking opportunity.

 

  • Date: Wednesday 2 October 2024
  • Location: Ascot Racecourse

 

This opportunity is intended to include women for whom the ticket price might be a barrier to attendance.

Full details and the agenda can be found here: https://www.racingfoundation.co.uk/conference/agenda/

To apply:

Simply email info@womeninracing.co.uk and share a short paragraph outlining your aspirations for what you’d particularly like to get out of attending. All enquiries will be treated in confidence.

Applications will close on 1 August 2024 and successful candidates will be notified shortly after.

International Women’s Day Webinar Recording

To mark International Women’s Day, join us as we celebrate women who are pushing boundaries in their area of the racing industry. This Zoom Webinar will feature a panel discussion; we will hear from our brilliant panellists about progress being made and their views on opportunities for change. The interactive, thought-provoking session will provide opportunities to ask questions of the panellists individually or as a whole.

Horse Racing presenter, reporter and producer Vanessa Ryle will host the webinar and our brilliant panellists include:

N.B. Saffie Osborne originally advertised had a diary clash with a ride in Bahrain

Charlotte Jones

Jump Jockey Charlotte joins us to provide an insight into her career and perspective. Charlotte has ridden over 68 winners in her career to-date, based at the Cumbrian yard of Jimmy Moffatt. Charlotte had no racing background and has a degree in Equine Science. One of Charlotte’s goals is to support and inspire girls to aim for a career in horseracing.

Dr Eleanor Boden PHD PGCE SHEA

Eleanor is responsible for Managing the Scottish Racing Academy and its education provision which includes recruitment strategies and employer engagement. Previously, Eleanor was a Senior Lecturer at Myerscough College where she earned the Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy status as well as multiple nominations for her outstanding teaching delivery. Eleanor completed her PhD at Durham University which involved researching the experiences of females from different education streams and employment in the horseracing industry. During Eleanor’s professional and academic career, she has consistently focused on improving the awareness and understanding of equality, safeguarding and inclusion, to ensure a safe space for participation and the opportunity for all to thrive. In 2021 Eleanor was appointed as the Equality, Wellbeing and Safeguarding Director of horse Scotland and in 2023 Eleanor became Chair of British horseracing’s Diversity in Racing Steering Group. Eleanor’s PhD research “Where did all the girls go?” was published in December 2023 and incorporated into the British Horseracing Authority’s safeguarding strategy.

Eileen Harte

Hailing from Dublin, the bloodstock industry was not a natural progression but Eileen was struck by the racing bug at an early age. Her passion for horses continued throughout her life and she eventually turned this into a successful career with her husband when they set up Keith Harte Bloodstock Ltd. Now over 18 years in the industry they are settling into their newly acquired farm in North Essex.

Breeding and selling thoroughbreds fill their days but the young people coming into the industry is something Eileen and her team concentrate on. This focus is continued through her volunteer work with Racing Welfare and her role as a Judge on the panel for the Thoroughbred Industry Employers Awards. Developing her skills around this focus is a priority and Eileen was recently awarded a Bronze Certificate In Transformational Coaching and is going into her final years training to be an Individual Psychotherapist.

Dr Kate Clayton-Hathway

Dr Kate Clayton-Hathway, is an Associate Researcher with the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice at Oxford Brookes Business School. She led both the 2017 diversity project for the horseracing industry and the 2020 Racing Home study. Kate’s research specialism is in gender equality within organisational structures, and she is particularly interested in promoting progressive institutional change. She is also an activist, and supports a women’s educational charity in Oxfordshire.

The webinar is also an opportunity to hear from WiR about the programmes that are free as part of WiR membership that help women across the industry to flourish and succeed.

The Grand Women’s Summit returns in 2023

The Grand Women’s Summit returns once again to Aintree Racecourse in 2023, taking place on Ladies Day (Friday 14th April) at the Randox Grand National Festival.

First staged in 2015 and in now in its eighth year, the Grand Women’s Summit returned as an in-person event in 2022 having been held virtually in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme for this year’s event, which for a second time is generously supported by leading multinational law firm Pinsent Masons, will be menstrual health in sport, parenthood and the menopause.

Former England field hockey player Sam Quek MBE, who was part of the Gold medal-winning team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and is a current team captain on the BBC’s Question of Sport, will be the host.

The panel in 2023 will include World Champion boxer and Aintree Ambassador Natasha Jonas. Liverpool-born Jonas currently holds three championship belts – the IBF, WBC and WBO female light-middleweight titles.

Jonas said: “It was a terrific experience to be on the panel for the Grand Women’s Summit in 2022 and I am delighted to be returning this year.

“This year’s theme is something that is rarely talked about publicly but obviously of massive importance to women. I am sure the Grand Women’s Summit in 2023 will go some way to helping women involved in all sports and help to break down barriers.”

Also on the panel will be ITV Racing presenter Alice Plunkett and Liverpool-born mixed martial artist “Meatball” Mollie McCann.

Samantha Livesey, Partner, Head of Commercial at Pinsent Masons, which is supporting the event, said: “The Grand Women’s Summit has established itself as an important annual event, highlighting and providing insight into key issues across sport.

“Its values, focusing on women within sport, are very much in line with our own, particularly in promoting gender equality, diversity and inclusion. As a global business with a market leading sports sector advisory team, the international focus on this event and the opportunity it creates to give a voice to women within sport is something we are delighted to support.”

The Grand Women’s Summit will also see the second presentation of the Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Award.

Launched by Aintree Racecourse in partnership with BBC Radio Merseyside at the 2021 Randox Grand National Festival, the accolade is in memory of Aintree’s late Chair Rose Paterson, who sadly passed away in 2020.

It combines two of Rose’s passions, the community and the Grand Women’s Summit, and its aim is to recognise on an annual basis a girl or woman from Merseyside who is making a difference to grassroots community sport, either through participation or support.

The Pinsent Masons Grand Women’s Summit will take place in O’ Sullevan’s Owners and Trainers facility, and will finish with a course walk of the world-famous Randox Grand National course.

Open to the public, tickets for the Pinsent Masons Grand Women’s Summit can be purchased by visiting https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/the-grand-national/grand-womens-summit/. WiR members – please check your emails for your discount code, or email lucy.gurney@womeninracing.co.uk for the code.

The Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Awards To Be Presented for First Time at the 2022 Aintree Grand Women’s Summit Supported by Pinsent Masons

The Aintree Grand Women’s Summit supported by Pinsent Masons will return at the Randox Grand National Festival in 2022. Set to be held for the seventh time on Randox Ladies Day (Friday 8th April), leading Corporate, Commercial and Sports law firm Pinsent Masons generously extends its support for the first time year and the 2022 event will see the first presentation of the Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Award.

The Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Award was launched by Aintree Racecourse in partnership with BBC Radio Merseyside at the 2021 Randox Grand National Festival, in memory of Aintree late Chairman Rose Paterson who sadly passed away in 2020. The award combines two of Rose’s passions, the community and the Grand Women’s Summit, and its aim is to recognise on an annual basis a girl or woman from Merseyside who is making a difference to grassroots community sport, either through participation or support.

Nominations for the Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Award can made by the public and Aintree is encouraging its community partners – Alder Hey, LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community, Park Palace Ponies, Military Vets HQ, Sunflowers, Alzheimer’s Society and Racing Welfare – as well as local sports clubs to make nominations. The judging panel is made up Rose’s daughter Evie Paterson, Alice Fox-Pitt, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Mike Hughes from BBC Radio Merseyside.

The winner and a guest will be given free admission to Aintree on Randox Ladies Day and will attend the Aintree Grand Women’s Summit Supported by Pinsent Masons. The winner’s name will be commemorated with a plaque on the Peter O’Sullevan Community Hub wall at the racecourse and they will also receive an annual pass to Aintree.

Evie Paterson said: “The Grand National and the Aintree Grand Women’s summit both meant a huge amount to my mother and it is a great honour that her name will be commemorated with the annual presentation of the Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Award.

“My mother was very aware of the incredibly strong bond between the Grand National and the Merseyside region, so it is very fitting that this award recognises a person who is working for the benefit of the local community.

“I would like to thank everyone who has made this new award possible and in particular BBC Radio Merseyside for the great publicity they are providing.”

The host of the Aintree Grand Women’s Summit supported by Pinsent Masons will be Karthi Gnanasegaram.

A well-respected broadcaster across the BBC, Amazon Prime Video and Classic FM, Gnanasegaram has covered a wealth of major sporting events during her career including the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, FIFA World Cups, Champions League, Premier League, Wimbledon, the US Open, Open Golf Championships, the Ryder Cup and Grand Nationals.

Karthi Gnanasegaram said: “I am thrilled to be hosting the Aintree Grand Women’s Summit in 2022 particularly as it has been a such a difficult three years for so many people since the Aintree Grand Women’s Summit was last staged in person in 2019 and therefore this year’s theme of ‘Mental Resilience’ is of enormous relevance both to the sporting and wider world.”

Jockey Rachael Blackmore, who created history in 2021 by becoming the first female jockey to win the Randox Grand National aboard Minella Times, is expected to be in attendance while another panellist will be four-time Ironman World Champion triathlete, Chrissie Wellington OBE. The full list of panellists will be announced in due course.

Among the topics for discussion at the 2022 Aintree Grand Women’s Summit is Mental Resilience, both within sport and its relevance to the general population, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tallulah Lewis, Chair of Women in Racing, commented: “It is tremendous news that the Aintree Grand Women’s Summit will be returning in 2022.

“The topic of Mental Resilience is a highly topical one and I am sure there will lots of fascinating discussion with a particular emphasis on women.

“To have sportswomen of the calibre of Rachael Blackmore and Chrissie Wellington in attendance is sure to make this year’s event extra special.”

Dickon White, Regional Director – North West, The Jockey Club, added: “The Aintree Grand Women’s Summit is a fixture at the Randox Grand National Festival and we are delighted to see it return on Randox Ladies Day this year.

“I am thrilled that Karthi Gnanasegaram with her wealth of experience across the sporting world has agreed to host and my thanks go to Pinsent Masons for its generous sponsorship.

“The Aintree Grand Women’s Summit was much loved by our late Chairman Rose Paterson and we are honoured to be welcoming her daughter Evie back to Aintree for the inaugural presentation of The Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Award.”

 

Schedule and key times for the 2022 Grand Women’s Summit supported by Pinsent Masons at Aintree on Friday 8th April

8.00am – Panel to arrive

8.30am – Guest arrival & breakfast

9.00am – Introduction by host Karthi Gnanasegaram

9.00am – 9.10am – Welcomes by Evie Paterson, Tallulah Lewis of Women in Racing. Winner of The Rose Paterson Community Sportswoman Award to be announced.

9.10am – 10.00am – Aintree Grand Women’s Summit

10.00am – 10.10am – Q&A with Rachael Blackmore

10.15am – 11.30am – Course walk with racing VIPs (Katie Walsh and Nina Carberry, to be confirmed)

 

Packages for those wanting to attend the Aintree Grand Women’s Summit are priced at £79 for Women In Racing members and include the above plus a Lord Sefton Terrace ticket for the day. Tickets can be booked online at www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/aintree/events-tickets/grand-national/tickets/

NEW EVENT! Control the narrative – insights into interacting with the media

Wednesday 20th January @2pm – £10

Everyone connected with the sport will have watched racing on television at some point but have you ever wondered what it’s like to be on the other side of the camera?

Whatever your role in racing, you could find yourself the centre of attention, often at short notice, and will want to present yourself in the best possible light.

Women In Racing have teamed up with Bladonmore to offer members an exclusive opportunity to participate in a media training webinar.  This will provide a fascinating insight into the world of media and offer some essential tips and tricks on how to cope when the microphone is pointing in your direction.

The training will be tailored to benefit anyone in the racing industry and will also be useful to those who do not anticipate being directly involved with the media.

The cost of this training is just £10 and spaces will be limited!

Book now via the Events page to reserve your place!