This Year ’ s Participants
Viewing this online ? Click each participant ’ s photo to view a short interview about themselves and how they feel about this year ’ s programme
Thomas Barry – British Horseracing Authority
I am a 20-year-old from Watford and have just finished my final year at the University of Nottingham studying Politics and International Relations . Since I was very young , my parents have taken me Horse Racing , beginning an enduring love of the Sport . Watching horse racing , football , cricket etc has been and is still my favourite past time . In the past few years , my passion for horse racing has grown exponentially . The multiple facets of the sport and the huge range of job opportunities have made me determined that this is where my future career aspirations lie . Having recently finished writing a dissertation regarding the ongoing review of the 2005 Gambling Act , I have seen the various challenges that horse racing faces every day . Understanding how the sport tackles these , and what can be done in the future to continue developing racing and engaging the younger audience , is the aim for my career .
Ella McNeill – Racehorse Owners Association
I ’ m Ella McNeill and I ’ m 24 years old currently living in Fulham , London . After graduating from Cardiff University and pursuing a two-year career in the IT / Tech industry , I have decided to change my career path and follow my passion for horse racing . After hearing so many positive comments from friends about what a brilliant and fantastic opportunity the Development Programme is , I decided to apply . My aspiration within racing itself is to enable more young people to become involved in the sport . I plan to do this through syndication and ownership , as well as hosting networking events to help encourage young people to get involved in the sport and meet like-minded individuals . By doing so , I would hope to develop racing by lowering the barrier of entry to ownership , as well as increasing racing ’ s audience , demographic and diversity . Therefore , I am most excited about learning more about the operational and logistical side of ownership during my placement at the ROA , which in turn will help me in the future with my upcoming ventures . 18