Category: Events

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 Jockey Club is delighted to offer Women in Racing an exclusive offer for Ladies Day at the Cazoo Derby on June 3rd 2022.

Find out more on the events page here.

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/

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!