Di Farrell-Thomas
- Change management, Corporate Governance, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Emotional Resilience, Equestrian Sport, Health and Wellbeing, Leadership, Personal Development, Politics, Racecourses, Safeguarding, Working with Boards
Di is part of the team at the British Horseracing Authority as the Diversity and Inclusion Project Manager.
She has also been a committee member of Racing With Pride (British Racing’s official LGBTQ+ network) since its inception in 2020, and was part of the Diversity in Racing Steering Group until taking on a formal role for D&I at the BHA in 2022.
Di has been part of teams at other racing related organisations such as Juddmonte Farms Ltd, the Jockey Club working in both the sponsorship and marketing teams at Newmarket Racecourses, as well as at the British Racing School for five years as the Industry Courses Manager.
More broadly, Di’s career has involved working for sports’ national governing bodies – Badminton England and England Hockey in Development Manager roles as well as for Local Authority in this regard.
Riding horses and ponies into her teens, Di moved on to riding out in yards in Newmarket, gaining her Amateur flat licence and for her Honours Degree in Sport, she completed a dissertation study on the experiences of female jockeys in Britain.
In 2023 she gained the TASS Practitioner qualification to support Athlete Performance Development and Lifestyle; which has involved mentoring world class programme athletes – balancing study, sport and anything else that life presents.
Meet the Women in Racing Mentors
Yvonne Carr
- Administration, Education, Former Amateur Rider, Former Permit Holder, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Racing Yards and Teams, Working with Boards
Baroness Dido Harding
- Change management, Corporate Governance, Current or Former Jockey, Former Amateur Rider, Leadership, Politics, Working with Boards
Helena Flynn
- Corporate Governance, Education, Equestrian Sport, Leadership, Personal Development, Working with Boards
Debbie Knott
- Administration, Charities, Health and Wellbeing, Leadership, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Tech
Hetta Harris
- Education, Emotional Resilience, Leadership, Maternity Support, Mentors for Mums, Racehorse Trainer, Racing Yards, Racing Yards and Teams, Safeguarding
Ali White
- Career Coaching, Education, Maternity Support, Mentors for Mums, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Racing Yards and Teams, Safeguarding
Heather Johnson
- Education, Equestrian Sport, Leadership, Maternity Support, Mentors for Mums, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Racing Yards and Teams, Safeguarding
Cheryl Caves
- Administration, Bloodstock, Leadership, Maternity Support, Menopause, Mentors for Mums, Networking, Personal Development, Working with Boards
Dominique Tortice
- Education, Equestrian Sport, Leadership, Maternity Support, Mentors for Mums, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Racing Yards and Teams, Safeguarding
Rose Grissell
- Corporate Governance, Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellbeing, Maternity Support, Mentors for Mums, Safeguarding, Working with Boards
Alison Horan
- Bloodstock, Charities, Global Industry, Leadership, Marketing, Working with Boards
Anne Lambert
- Career Coaching, Charities, Corporate Governance, Leadership, Working with Boards
Carrie Ford
- Charities, Current or Former Jockey, Emotional Resilience, Racing Yards, Racing Yards and Teams
Charlotte Osborne
- Career Coaching, Corporate Governance, Education, Equestrian Sport, Leadership, Personal Development, Safeguarding
Chloe Martin
- Bloodstock, Charities, Education, Leadership, Media, Personal Development, Safeguarding, Working with Boards
Claire Kubler
- Bloodstock, Equine Science, Personal Development, Racehorse Trainer, Racing Yards and Teams
Claire Sheppard
- Bloodstock, Charities, Corporate Governance, Education, Leadership, Politics, Racecourses, Safeguarding, Working with Boards
Clare Blakely
- Insurance, Leadership, Mentors for Mums, Networking, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Recruitment, Working with Boards
Dawn Laidlaw
- Bloodstock, Career Coaching, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Leadership, Personal Development, Working with Boards
Dena Merson
- Bloodstock, Career Coaching, Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Resilience, Leadership, Personal Development
Dr Eleanor Boden
- Career Coaching, Charities, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Personal Development, Safeguarding
Eileen Harte
- Bloodstock, Career Coaching, Charities, Leadership, Personal Development, Racing Yards and Teams
Emma Sayer
- Charities, Current or Former Jockey, Education, Equestrian Sport, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Safeguarding
Gemma Waterhouse
- Change management, Charities, Corporate Governance, Equestrian Sport, Leadership, Safeguarding, Working with Boards
Helene Sharrock
- Career Coaching, Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Resilience, Health and Wellbeing, Leadership, Mental Health Support, Personal Development, Working with Boards
Jayne Greenman
- Career Coaching, Corporate Governance, Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Resilience, Health and Wellbeing, Leadership, Mentors for Mums, Personal Development, Racecourses, Safeguarding, Working with Boards
Lisa Hancock
- Charities, Corporate Governance, Current or Former Jockey, Leadership, Racecourses, Safeguarding, Working with Boards
Louise Stewart
- Career Coaching, Corporate Governance, Leadership, Personal Development, Racecourses, Working with Boards
Lucy Attwood
- Career Coaching, Change management, Corporate Governance, Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Resilience, Leadership, Personal Development, Working with Boards
Lucy Gurney
- Charities, Education, Equine Facilitated Learning, Leadership, Mentors for Mums, Racing Yards and Teams, Working with Boards
Lynn Tomkins
- Career Coaching, Change management, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Leadership, Personal Development
Pip Kirkby
- Career Coaching, Charities, Equestrian Sport, Leadership, Racecourses, Working with Boards
Rachel Flynn
- Bloodstock, Current or Former Jockey, Leadership, Legal, Racehorse Trainer, Racing Yards and Teams
Sarah Guest
- Emotional Resilience, Leadership, Mentors for Mums, Personal Development, Racing Yards, Racing Yards and Teams, Safeguarding
Simone Sear
- Career Coaching, Charities, Corporate Governance, Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellbeing, Leadership, Mental Health Support, Personal Development, Safeguarding
Susannah Gill
- Betting Industry, Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Resilience, Media, Mentors for Mums, Networking, Personal Development, Politics
Tallulah Wilson
- Betting Industry, Bloodstock, Corporate Governance, Diversity and Inclusion, Mentors for Mums, Personal Development, Working with Boards
Zoe Elliot
- Charities, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Leadership, Maternity Support, Menopause, Mentors for Mums, Personal Development, Safeguarding