My placement at Evergreen Stud has been amazing and such an eye-opener, with so many different opportunities offered. I started my placement with the pre-trainers where my duties included strapping for riders, providing required treatment to horses, assisting with vet checks, and feed runs for horses in work and horses out spelling.
During this time, I also had the opportunity to prep horses ready for the track and take horses to and from spelling paddocks. I also worked with weanling assisting in their preparation for the sales next year.
My recent move on the property has brought me to the breeding side of the farm, where I have developed my skills while becoming more hands-on with mares in foal and dry mares. This has aided my ability for foaling down and getting mares ready for service later in the season. The change has also given me more opportunity to work with weanlings on a more regular basis.
My duties with weanlings are to assist them in adjusting to people by grooming, walking them around in the box, and handling them whilst cleaning out their boxes. After a few weeks, I was asked if I would be interested in getting involved in night watch. I leapt at the chance to test myself a little more and gain further experience in this field. I was very nervous when it came to my first night shift, as Neil (the manager) kept saying, it ‘was either going to be that night or the following night for the stud’s first foal’. I was walking around every hour checking the mares, and then reporting back to the manager when he checks in halfway through the shift.
That night not much was reported, so I knew deep down that it was going to be my next shift. When the next shift came, we were smack bang on the dot with the foaling, in the early hours of the morning, I was able to help welcome the first foal of the season to a somewhat cold and frosty morning.
I honestly could not explain in words the excitement and emotion that I felt at that moment and the happiness when the little fella took his first steps. That will be a moment I will never forget. I am so glad that I was given this opportunity and I cannot thank Evergreen Stud for these experiences, allowing me to grow and learn so much more. My dream wouldn’t have been possible without the ongoing support of Lindy and the Explorer Program, because, I know I wasn’t the easiest Cadet, but I really do appreciate all the support and guidance that the other Cadets and I have been given!
Craig Rounsefell has worked with a number of widely-respected Australian horsemen and international identities, household names in the racing and breeding world, and he’s made the best use of the bloodstock knowledge and life skills gleaned from them.
The principal of Boomer Bloodstock operates across the globe, attending all major domestic and overseas sales with a Group 1 track record that has earned him a growing following.
And when it came time to come home to Australia and establish his own company, Rounsefell didn’t have to think hard about a trade name.
“I got the nickname of Boomer in the first week when I was on the Flying Start programme,” he said. “It stuck and then after the course I was working in Kentucky and everybody referred to me there as Boomer.”
Precisely how he earned the moniker is a story for another day, but he’s universally known as Boomer in and outside the bloodstock world.
“Even my mother in law and father in law called me Boomer,” he said. “Most people call their agencies by their name, but everybody uses Boomer so it was an easy choice to make.”
Family connection
Boomer’s earliest introduction to the industry came through his parents John and Diane.
“My father had an insurance business and he was best mates with Bob Logan and he looked after Queensland for him,” he said.
“I’d always go to the sales with him growing up. My great-grandfather and great-great grandfather on his side, the father was a trainer and the son a jockey, and they had a horse called Master Bernie.
“He won the 1899 Queensland Derby and 1900 St Leger. My grandfather on Mum’s side was an amateur jockey in central Queensland.”
While attending school in Brisbane, Boomer worked during the holidays with Terry Catip.
“He’s a long-time family friend and my first mentor. In my early teenage years I spent all my time working with him,” he said.
“I still work with him now. He’s one of the best horsemen I’ve been around and he’s got a lot of knowledge through his time spent as foreman for TJ Smith and with Percy Sykes, legends of the Australian turf.
“Terry is one of the best horsemen I’ve been around.” – Boomer.
“He instilled all the basic horsemanship in me from the start and focussing on core values. He’s part of my team, he does all my spelling and transport and helps me at the sales.”
Boomer also excelled in whites and his skills as an opening bowler and batsman earned him representative cricket honours and sent him overseas where he gained further thoroughbred experience.
“I got the opportunity to be play cricket overseas and made contacts while away,” Boomer said.
In 2001, he landed a role as a sports coach at The Royal Military School in England and a trip to Ireland led to a chance meeting with famed trainer John Oxx. Every ensuing holiday was spent at Oxx’s Currabeg Stable in County Kildare.
Boomer returned to Australia to attend the University of Queensland for a Bachelor of Commerce degree and took the opportunity to work at Tulloch Lodge for Gai Waterhouse during breaks.
“Obviously, Gai was a strong influence and so was the late Steve Brem. From that time until he sadly passed he was a real mentor in that bloodstock role.
“Obviously, Gai was a strong influence and so was the late Steve Brem.” – Boomer.
“Steve was a very well read man, he instilled knowledge. You can have your ideas when you look at a horse, but you need to back it up with the integrity aspect. He drove home how important that was.”
When Henry Field, these days successfully operating Newgate in the Hunter Valley, left the Waterhouse operation to attend the Godolphin Flying Start course, it left an opening for Boomer.
“I took Henry’s role with Gai and when I finished university I went full time with her,” he said. “Then when I got on the Flying Start, James Harron took my role there.”
“The first week I was on Godolphin Flying Start there was a sale in Ireland at Goffs and met John Tyrell, part of the BBA. From that time in 2005 to now we’ve been very close and he’s been a mentor to me on the bloodstock side.
“The thing that he really instilled was building relationships – playing the long game and having clients for life.
“When I was with Flying Start I was in Dubai and met Neil Drysdale, a trainer in California, and he offered me a job. After I finished Flying Start I already had a position at Keeneland doing an internship there for seven months through the sales and during that time I met Mr Arthur Hancock of Stone Farm.”
Hancock influence
That introduction in 2007 led to Hancock having a profound effect on Boomer.
“I got to know Mr Hancock and he was a mentor to me. He’s been so successful in breeding and racing and the one thing that sticks out is to be uncompromising on integrity, honesty and transparency. He’s someone that I really admire.”
Video: Mr Arthur Hancock has been a mentor to Boomer
With his internship over, Boomer headed to Neil Drysdale’s stable.
“I spent a year with Neil and in a month or so of arriving I met my future wife McCall and her father Mike Mitchell was also a trainer in California.
“He was another huge influence to me during the five or six years we had before he passed.
“He taught me how to look at a horse, he was one of the kings of claiming horses in America. He had a lot of horses through run through his hands with flaws and various conformational issues and he taught me horses to steer clear from.
“Mike was the one that really supported me when I kicked off. I was engaged and we moved to Australia to set up Boomer Bloodstock in 2008.
“Through the first five years we didn’t get a lot of support in Australia and he was really supporting me and we had a lot of success together. It was headlined by Obviously who won a significant number of Group races.”
Group 1 success
Purchased for 130,000 guineas and trained by Mitchell, Obviously (Ire) (Choisir) gave Boomer his first Grade 1 win with a victory in the Shoemaker Mile. Mitchell retired soon after and handed the reins to his assistant Philip D’Amato.
Under D’Amato’s care, Obviously went on to win two more Grade 1 races including the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
That Breeders’ Cup victory led to a very exciting three weeks of racing, including the Boomer-purchased Scales of Justice (Not A Single Doubt) winning the G1 WATC Railway S., earning him Western Australia’s Horse of the Year title for 2016-2017.
“Unfortunately, I lost two of my mentors in Steve Bren and Mike Mitchell, who have passed away. Terry Catip, Arthur Hancock and John Tyrell are people I speak to regularly and still seek advice from,” Boomer said.
“Tony Patrizi is another person I regularly seek advice from. I went to a dispersal sale in Western Australia five or so years ago and met him.
“He’s very successful in the mining industry. He became a client and a very good friend.”
“Tony is very successful in the mining industry. He became a client and a very good friend.” – Boomer.
Patrizi also enjoyed an ownership in the multiple Group 1 winner Northerly (Serheed {USA}).
“I try to uphold the values my mentors have taught me along the way. Being successful in bloodstock is built on playing the long game and doing the right thing by my clients,” Boomer said.
“I’m very close to my mother and father, my family has been very supportive, as is my wife McCall who is involved in the business.”
With growing trade in Australia, Boomer doesn’t spend as much time overseas as he has in the past.
“I don’t spend as much time in America as I used to. My business here has significantly increased, but I would still spend a minimum of three months in a year in America.
“I’m also the North American representative for Inglis. It’s an exciting role and I think North America is a market in the future that’s going to step up investment in Australia and make more of an impact here in the next five or 10 years.”
Pony Club was an important stage on Hugh Bowman’s pathway to a championship career as a jockey and regular rider of world champion racemare Winx. The same is true of many other people working in the Australian thoroughbred racing and breeding industry.
Now 300 of the best young riders from right across Australia will have an opportunity to learn about the extensive array of careers available to them, through Thoroughbred Industry Careers signing as the naming rights sponsor of the 2019 Pony Club Australia National Championships, to be held at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre from October 7-13.
Pony Club celebrates its 80th year in Australia in 2019 with 40,000 members coming from 850 clubs and TIC Chief Executive Lindy Maurice says the organisation continues to have the most significant impact on introducing young Australian’s to a life with horses.
Pony Club Australia’s National Championships is an event that we’re particularly proud to support. Whether it be riders like Edwina Tops-Alexander, Shane Rose or Hugh Bowman who are at the top in their discipline, or the majority of the Thoroughbred Industry’s workforce, you can bet that they all started their life with horses at Pony Club,” Ms Maurice said.
We want to let all those currently involved in Pony Club know just how varied and exciting the job opportunities are and that TIC can help guide them.
Board Member of TIC and Managing Director of Godolphin Australia Vin Cox says he sees the impact of Pony Club Australia every day.
There’s barely a staff member at Godolphin that hasn’t been part of Pony Club and I know those experiences have helped shape their love of horses, their work ethic and ability to be part of our team,” Mr Cox said.
The industry’s arms are wide open and ready to welcome the next generation of horse lovers looking to turn their passion into a career.
Chief Executive of Pony Club Australia Dr Catherine Ainsworth says the partnership is a natural fit.
Involvement in Pony Club teaches children riding and horse management skills that are valued in the Thoroughbred industry and many of our graduates have gone on to establish rewarding careers doing what they love,” Dr Ainsworth said.
Through this partnership with Thoroughbred Industry Careers, we’re looking forward to showcasing the diversity of pathways available to our Members and encouraging them to consider these as options for the future.
This is a really important partnership for us and we’re very grateful for the support.
For further information and/or interviews please contact: Lindy Maurice – 0488 066 604
James Bester enjoys the richest of racing lives that has been shaped by a host of high-profile bloodstock identities across the thoroughbred world. He has learned all facets of the business from masters of their trades and continues to apply the knowledge and principles passed on to him.
The international bloodstock agent and Coolmore consultant has, at various stages of a colourful career, been guided by legendary figures of the turf. The affable Bester learned his lessons well, mixing a keen mind and sharp wit in his pursuit of thoroughbred excellence.
A start with an iconic figure in his native South Africa preceded time with bloodstock luminaries John Magnier, John Messara, the late Robert Sangster, Aidan O’Brien and Demi O’Byrne.
Bester went through the usual channels that developed his early passion and love of horses and then came an academic switch that ultimately decided on the U-turn back to his first love.
“I was first put on a horse at the age of four and according to my parents I was obsessed from that day forward, but there was no family history in racing,” he said.
I was first put on a horse at the age of four and according to my parents I was obsessed from that day forward, but there was no family history in racing.” – James Bester.
“I’m from a family of lawyers, but an avid rider whose first loves were show-jumping, eventing and foxhunting, I dutifully spent six years studying for a BA and then an LLB degree before realising that (a) I didn’t want to be a lawyer and (b) one couldn’t really make a living in any equestrian pursuits outside of racing.
“So, after a compulsory stint fulfilling national service obligations as a detective in the South African Police force, I sought a way into racing by combining my legal, investigative and equestrian background as a Stipendiary Steward for the Jockey Club of South Africa.
“My first real mentor was Chairman of Stewards, the legendary Jock Sproule, who deeply impressed on me the importance, to the industry in general and to my own career in it, of absolute integrity.”
Bester said he enjoyed the role, but was soon looking to change tack.
“As a steward I enjoyed the role and learned a lot about racing, but the requirement for no closer than arm’s length interaction with trainers, jockeys and other racing professionals frustrated me,” he said.
“I had learned the colours and could read a race, so I successfully applied for a role as race caller for the South African Turf Club in Cape Town.”
Style of his own
Bester brought his own style to the commentary box, although his sense of humour wasn’t always appreciated.
“The thrill of calling races for those few years is something I’ll never forget, though I did manage to fall foul of one particular jockey by describing him during a race as fumbling for his stick like a bridegroom on opening night. Nor were my stewarding ex-colleagues amused!” he said.
“The senior race caller there was Jehan Malherbe, now better known internationally as bloodstock agent for trainer Mike de Kock, breeder-owner Mary Slack and others.
“He, Robin Bruss and Charles Faull were directors of the Form Organisation, easily then the most knowledgeable and dynamic bloodstock agency in South Africa.”
When Bruss departed, Bester’s career path took another direction.
“Jehan and Charles kindly took me into their Form Organisation as a fellow agent and became my next mentors,” he said.
“Charles knew more than anyone I’d met about international sire lines and Jehan’s specialities were both the assessment of race performance and the yearling sale market. Again, integrity was the catch cry of both.”
Gateway to Europe
Thereafter followed a chance meeting that opened the international gate for Bester.
“After a couple of years at Form, I had the good fortune to run into Ben Sangster, son of Robert who with John Magnier and Vincent O’Brien formed the Coolmore/Ballydoyle triumvirate,” he said.
“At the time in the mid-1980s they ruled the racing world and were about, courtesy of Sadler’s Wells, to rule the breeding world – well, in European terms anyway!
“Through Ben I managed to secure a position, vacated by now-famous agent Charlie Gordon-Watson, on the Isle of Man, assisting in management of Robert Sangster’s then international racing empire.
“It consisted of well over 1000 horses world-wide in England, Ireland, France, America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even Venezuela!
“And to say that Robert, as famous for covering in both Hemispheres as his stallions, proved a major influence on my life and career would be an understatement.”
“Robert regularly took me racing, to the best meetings in England and Ireland – in the days of Dancing Brave, and still the best horse I ever saw race; Green Desert, the grandsire of I Am Invincible, Slip Anchor, Rainbow Quest and great mares like Indian Skimmer, Oh So Sharp, Pebbles, etc. He taught me so much about life in general and racing in particular.”
Exhilarating times
They were remarkable times and peppered with spectacular sale ring action.
“They were heady days in the breeding world in the mid-1980s,” Bester said. “I had barely joined Robert when Coolmore, in July and August of 1985, paid some $13 million at Keeneland for the world record sale-topping Nijinsky yearling colt and $3.5 million at Saratoga for the top-selling Danzig yearling colt.
“The story of the first, Seattle Dancer, has often been told. Less known is that, in what became my first international bloodstock deal, I myself two years later bought the second, the speedy but unraced National Assembly for $100,000 and on-sold him to Graham Beck, owner of Highlands Stud in South Africa.
“National Assembly was for the next two decades a leading sire, sire of sires and broodmare sire of National Colour, for one example, whose two Redoute’s Choice yearling sons Rafeef and Mustaaqeem sold for millions at Inglis Easter and both won Group 1 races back in South Africa for Mike de Kock and Shadwell. Small world!”
It was with the support and assistance of Sangster that Bester found his way to Australia.
“Without Robert I would quite possibly still be in South Africa and I would almost certainly never have made it to Australia,” he said.
Without Robert I would quite possibly still be in South Africa and I would almost certainly never have made it to Australia.” – James Bester.
“Robert helped me, after three years on the Isle of Man, to secure a position with what was then Sir Tristan Antico’s Baramul Stud.
“After a couple of years at Baramul I found myself at Arrowfield Stud, as a replacement for Henry Plumptre, in the role of bloodstock and marketing manager.
“It was there that I came under the guidance and influence of one of my most significant mentors, John Messara.
“Almost Caesar-like in his mantra that Arrowfield is an industry leader and, like the government, we need to be beyond reproach, which means not only doing the right thing but also being seen to do the right thing.
“Again, integrity and transparency were the principles he kept drumming into us.”
Heady days
Timing was again very much in Bester’s favour during his Arrowfield experience.
“What a time that was. Stallions like Kenmare and Danehill, racehorses like Baryshnikov and Flying Spur and Oaks-winning mares like Mahaya and Kenbelle.
“As with Dancing Brave and company, I mention horses of this ilk because they too were my mentors, from observation of which at close quarters I learned as much about my craft as from any human.
“This was especially true of Baryshnikov and Kenbelle, the first two Australian Group 1 Guineas and Oaks winners that I was lucky enough to buy and part-own with Arrowfield and other friends.
“Living and breathing the fortunes of animals like that teaches one quickly.”
Dear Dante
While Bester has seen a host of great international thoroughbreds in action and the most influential of stallions, one of a lesser profile touched him deeply.
“One horse in particular stands out – Dante’s Paradiso, inherently more talented than any Group 1 winner I’ve ever bought,” he said.
“Unfortunately unsound, he broke down en route to fulfilling his potential but I had him from a Karaka yearling through racehorse, equestrian competitor, foxhunter and companion until he was put down as a 20 year-old last month.
“I learned more from him about conformation, action, training, veterinary aspects and general horsemanship than any human ever taught me!”
He bought Dante’s Paradiso (NZ) (Danske) for NZ$50,000 in 2002 and won five races, including the Listed Tattersall’s Cup and a runner-up finish in the G2 Villiers S. from limited appearances.
Coolmore role
The next stage of Bester’s career was determined by circumstances out of his control.
“To bring the whole process full circle, along came Coolmore,” he said. “When Arrowfield and Coolmore ‘divorced’ over the extent of Danehill’s dual-hemisphere duties, I found myself in the Coolmore camp, unable to tear myself away from Danehill, Last Tycoon, Royal Academy and their barn mates.
“I came under the influence of great horseman and judge Demi O’Byrne, who taught me more than anyone had about assessing horses, especially yearlings.
“Together, Demi and I had the great pleasure of buying as yearlings animals like Atlantic Jewel, Irish Lights, Hips Don’t Lie, Bull Point, War, Valentia and many others. And I still follow Demi’s advice – if you really love them, put a value on them and bid to that and then keep bidding until you get them.”
It has been during the Coolmore association that Bester has got to fully understand and appreciate the brilliance of its patriarch.
“I came under the influence, albeit remotely, of John Magnier, unquestionably the smartest and most successful man with whom I’ve ever had anything to do in both the racing and breeding industries,” Bester said.
“Genius is the only appropriate description of John Magnier, as anyone who has ever had anything to do with him will attest.
Genius is the only appropriate description of John Magnier, as anyone who has ever had anything to do with him will attest.” – James Bester.
“Where Demi shone in the realm of physique – not his own, mind you – following John Magnier and the Coolmore ethos taught me most of what I now know about the ‘business’ of bloodstock in general and of stallions in particular, along with the overall importance of a ‘global’ approach to pedigree and performance.
“It is a source of considerable satisfaction then that, again along with Demi O’Byrne, I was able to put to use some of what I had learned from these mentors in buying, as agent for Coolmore and friends, the yearling filly that became Piccadilly Circus, a Group 1 class filly herself and dam of none other than Coolmore’s flagship stallion Fastnet Rock.”
Coolmore’s remarkably-successful trainer has also become another major player in Bester’s racing life.
“Aidan O’Brien has also influenced me greatly – watching him, listening to him and, above all, observing his work and family ethic,” he said.
“He strives for, and approaches, perfection on so many levels that he cannot but be a positive influence.
He strives for, and approaches, perfection on so many levels that he cannot but be a positive influence.” – James Bester.
“There are so many others, including friends and clients Keith Biggs, Sabine Plattner, Tim Hughes, Laurie Macri, John Camilleri, Robert McClure, Ananda Krishnan, Alan Bell, my vet wife Bridget whom I admire.
“They have all influenced me along the way that I no doubt do many the disservice of not mentioning them. But those I have mentioned are unquestionably my most significant influences.
“And, ever-mindful of how greatly all of these mentors have enriched my life in racing and breeding, it is also very satisfying that a significant part of my current role with Coolmore involves mentoring its own rising stars in all aspects of stock assessment and acquisition, of marketing and promotion and of racing management.”
Bester has been playing his trade for many, many years now and has no intention of slowing down, indeed it’s the opposite.
“I’ll be 63 this month and if ever there was a game to keep one young this is it,” he said. “There’s always something new to look forward to.
“A new season, a crop of new season sires, a new season crop of 2-year-olds and new foals.
“All of that I’m sure has a rejuvenating effect. My enthusiasm remains, in fact if anything it gets stronger year by year.”
Working at Lindsay Park for my racing stable placement has easily been one of the best experiences of my life and I know it will only get better.
Since starting, I have learnt so much about the racing industry and all the skills needed to succeed in such a fast-paced way of life and work. New experiences that include strapping multiple horses for a track rider every morning and getting to know some amazing horses and watching them progress.
I have recently started pony riding every morning and love getting experience in the job I want to pursue further. I have discovered that it is a very underrated part of the racing industry and hard work; nevertheless it is an important part of a successful stable.
Pony riders and their horses are required to either lead or walk beside nervous or troubled horses out to their assigned exercise track to ensure they stay safe and as calm as possible. The ponies must be able to cope with horses close to or sometimes up against them for the riders to hold onto, meaning the pony must be completely bombproof and calm. A morning of work for the pony riders rarely ever comes to a stop, continuously trotting back and forth between the exercise tracks and the stables which is often a lot of ground to cover.
It is a very important job and a lot of people rely on these riders and ponies to get their horses back and forth from the tracks safely.
After seeing my work on the pony, Lindsay Park co-trainer David Hayes decided to let me ride trackwork on one of his upcoming racers Qabeelah.
This experience left me feeling very confident in my riding ability and a smile that lasted long afterwards. I’m very thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me and the encouragement from my co-workers on my progression throughout my time at Lindsay Park.
The racing flame was kindled early on for Bonnie Connellan and it has burned brightly ever since, fuelling a love and passion for the thoroughbred industry that has seen her forge a successful and rewarding career in administration and management.
The Chief Commercial Officer for Inglis in Sydney, Connellan grew up in Melbourne with father John and mother Joan, with both parents racing enthusiasts their interests have had a lasting effect on their daughter.
“My parents owned shares in horses and one of my first memories is calling out the scratchings from Teletext on Saturday mornings for Dad and his form guide,” she said.
“I started to follow it and develop a love of the industry. My parents used to take me to the races and I loved the excitement, emotion and passion that I felt.”
Connellan’s love for the game saw her apply for a job at Flemington at the first possible opportunity.
“I was working in the trainers and strappers’ café on race days serving pies and coffee because I was too young to serve alcohol,” she said. “That was amazing. I started to see people that to me were only ever superstars on TV.”
“I started to see people that to me were only ever superstars on TV.” – Bonnie Connellan.
That led to a variety of different roles at the Victoria Racing Club before taking time out for university and it was then straight back to the club in Business Development and Events where Connellan would subsequently encounter three major influences on her career.
“Probably the person who had the biggest single influence on my career is Julian Sullivan, he was the Executive General Manager of Membership and then the CEO at the VRC and the CEO of Perth Racing.
“He was also a hobby breeder. Whilst I worked for him on the racing side of the business, he taught me a lot about breeding when I was in my early twenties.
“He taught me how to read pedigrees, he taught me about broodmares and bloodlines, and encouraged me to go to a horse sale with him.
“He was the first person to really ignite my interest in the bloodstock side of the industry. I’d been to a couple of sales at that point, I then came up to Sydney for the carnival on my own with friends and we would go to the Easter Yearling Sale at Newmarket and Derby Day and Doncaster Day at Randwick. The frenzied bidding at the sales and the excitement on the track was incredible.”
Special mention
Connellan also singled out Rod Fitzroy, who was Chairman of the VRC during her time there, for special mention.
“He is a true visionary and had really big picture ideas,” she said. “I remember going to meetings with him and I learned pretty quickly not to go to a meeting thinking one dimensionally, thinking about a problem with only one answer.
“What are the different ways we can attack this – he really taught me to think of an idea or a response to something and then continually question it and refine it.
“He rebuilt the Flemington track, he put in bold plans for the water strategy and created the wetland. He was an amazing Chairman and he is an amazing thinker.
“Interestingly getting back to bloodlines, he also loved Carbine. He gave me a book on Carbine. Rod and Julian from the VRC really taught me about breeding.
“As a young person working with leading administrators in Julian and Rod, as well as getting business advice from Dad, was when I started to aspire to be a CEO in the industry.”
A fair bet
Eight years later, Connellan furthered her experience with Betfair for two and a-half years.
“That was really interesting and if I think back, it really developed my career. Betfair was a new brand and quite controversial for many people because of the regulatory environment but also in that it had no shop front,” she said.
“You knew every move your customer made when they were doing something online. I look back now and all the things I learned about customer service at the VRC helped me to act strategically because you know every one of your customers’ habits when you worked at Betfair. It took the guess work out of marketing and consumer behaviour which was invaluable.
“A big part of my role now in marketing and commercial negotiations is about understanding the customer and I learned a lot from Betfair.”
At that stage, Connellan was pondering a move interstate or overseas.
“I’d never lived outside Melbourne and that’s when the Inglis opportunity came up and it was in Sydney, so it was perfect,” she said.
“I’d never lived outside Melbourne and that’s when the Inglis opportunity came up and it was in Sydney, so it was perfect.” – Bonnie Connellan.
During her VRC days, Connellan handled the Inglis sponsorship account and first met Inglis Managing Director, Mark Webster. “They used to sponsor the Carbine Club S. on Derby Day,” she said.
Connellan started her Inglis career as the Business Development Manager, moved to Group Marketing Manager and now Chief Commercial Officer, which includes running the marketing department, international market development and commercial aspects such as sponsorship and technology.
“What Julian taught me was that customers don’t necessarily base their loyalty on price or product, he taught me to build loyalty through experiences people receive.” she said.
“At Inglis, one way we aim to build loyalty is through the great experiences that people can have in Sydney and Melbourne at the sales and races. It’s a privilege to work for a fifth-generation Australian family business, who treat their staff and clients like family.
“What I also quickly learned was because horse ownership and breeding are so unique, is that you can have skin in the game, logic can go out of the window with people’s passion.
“In other sports you can’t have the same level of ownership at all levels like you can in racing. This drives the emotion and enthusiasm of the sport, I love that.”
Influential figure
Connellan also paid tribute to the influence Webster has had on her during her seven years with Inglis.
“Mark has an incredibly strong sense of family and work life balance and enjoying what you do,” she said. “Over the years working with him has taught me to be a lot more empathetic, to walk in other people’s shoes.
“That translates to our breeders and when a horse comes to an Inglis sale, it could be five years in the making. In terms of walking in other people’s shoes, that is important to our clients.
“Also, because he is very composed and measured, I’ve definitely learned to maintain a sense of calm no matter how many things you’re juggling at one time.”
“I’ve definitely learned to maintain a sense of calm no matter how many things you’re juggling at one time.” – Bonnie Connellan
Connellan is also passionate about continued learning and post-University she has gained a graduate Diploma in Sports Law and travelled overseas to undertake further study.
“I lived in London for a month last year and went to the London Business School to complete a month long Executive Leadership course. It was so motivating and inspiring,” she said.
“It hit me between the eyes like it never had before, if I step up and choose to make an impact on the world, I can.”
Connellan has also experienced the thrill of ownership with shares in three thoroughbreds – “amazingly all city winners but no stakes horses, yet,” she said.
Working for Lindsay Park Racing (LPR) at their Flemington Stables has been such a rewarding experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to be able to work for such a highly regarded organisation headed by some of our industry’s leading trainers.
My primary role at LPR is a stable hand and strapper, a job where I look after my four horses in the morning as well as being a “groundie” for one of the riders. A quick overview of my morning routine is the following:
Most days I usually start at 5a.m., everyone has four designated horses/boxes they are responsible for so each morning I muck out the boxes, give my horses some fresh Lucerne hay, clean out their water trough, and tack them up if need be. As you work with these horses on a daily basis, it’s a very rewarding experience. You develop a bond and relationship with each horse as well as a deeper understanding of what’s ‘normal’ for your horse and what isn’t
By 5:45, boxes are done, and by this time everyone is at the work board seeing who their rider is and what horses they’re working. As a groundie my job is to tack my rider’s horses up for them, wash them after work then either put them on the walker or back in their box (depending on work), and get the next one or two horses tacked up or take them to the track for a crossover. During this time I may also help out other groundies or my foreman. The number of horses you work with depends day to day but you can work with as little as four or as many as nine.
By 8:45 or 9, when all the horses are away, we start doing our jobs, mine are to hand wash all the bridles in disinfectant and clean up the piles of sawdust/straw in each breezeway from the leaf blowers.
After those tasks are done, I go back to my four boxes where I check all my horses’ legs for swelling, cuts, lameness, and whether they’re missing a shoe or not and report any issues to my foreman. If my horses are up for it will give them a couple hugs and scratches too.
Upon my arrival at LPR, I quite literally hit the ground running. I had a lot of information thrown at me and a lot of people teaching me the run-down, each with a different style of how to do it. I had to learn quickly and absorb everything like a sponge. But the hardest and most frustrating part in the beginning was finding a method that suited me. Everyone else did things differently and trying to adopt their methods quite often didn’t work, and I had to personally adapt to my job and my environment to find that ‘lightbulb moment’, which took a few weeks to find. Once I did, everything fell into place and my job become more enjoyable and more achievable.
Not only did I learn a lot about how a racing stable was run and how fast paced it is, but I have also learnt a lot more on the biomechanics of racehorses and how important and frequent a vet’s job is within it all, a real highlight for me as my desired career within this industry is to be an equine vet. But probably the most important thing I’ve learnt throughout this experience is how determined I can be when I really put my mind to it. Throughout high school I always had this drive to do well and stay on top of my schoolwork, but since working at LPR it has gone up a few gears. Each day I go to work, regardless of what happened the day or the week before, with a determination and drive to make a good impression on my co-workers and foremen. Even in the moments when I fall behind with my horses for my rider, I always go that extra mile to ensure I get the job done.
Another highlight of mine has been strapping for trials and races as well, my first race as a strapper was at Ballarat Turf Club, where I strapped a 12 th place and a third place finisher. But to me the best moment was when I got to strap one of my designated horses ‘Almighty Will’, at his second trial this prep where he won. For me this side of the job is really enjoyable as it reminds me of having a similar atmosphere to that of when you go eventing.
This placement has been such a rewarding experience for me and has opened my eyes to a whole new side of the racing industry you can’t simply understand unless you are part of it. If you are thinking about signing up for the next intake, I would highly recommend it. You will never stop learning, make friends for life, and develop industry connections, as well as being able to work with horses every day.
Family came first in the race to ignite Bruce Slade’s passion for the thoroughbred and lit the touch paper to spark a thirst for racing knowledge and drive for breeding success that has taken him on a global journey.
A close relative introduced him to the industry and after garnering experience in overseas racing jurisdictions, Slade is now the popular and respected General Manager at the progressive Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley.
He accepted the position in 2015 at the invitation of Henry Field, who he cites as a major influence on his career, along with firstly his uncle John Slade and in between times the Australian Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse.
“There are a lot of different people who come into your life at different times to shape you and sharpen you up,” he said.
“As an overview in terms of industry and life lessons, it was my Uncle John who I initially got the bug from and after that I knew I wanted to be in the industry.
“There are a lot of different people who come into your life at different times to shape you and sharpen you up.” – Bruce Slade.
“From there it was Gai Waterhouse and now Henry have been the three main influences in my professional career. Along the way there have been a lot of supportive people. Michael Martin from the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association was a guy I could always call up and have a chat to about which direction I was headed. I could bounce ideas off him.”
John Slade formerly ran Summerhill Stud in South Africa, which is where the story has its roots.
“He was very successful there, but like anyone in South Africa, he had a couple of runs ins and he didn’t feel he and his family were safe there.
“He got to New Zealand via the United Kingdom and then my Mum, my sister and I were able to get out of South Africa too and went to New Zealand in 1998.
“My uncle was a very good studmaster and started a stud farm in Canterbury. He subsequently chose to take up a position back in South Africa with Maine Chance Farm.
“He was a very good horseman and very much a purist in terms of wanting to grow good racehorses.” – Bruce Slade.
“My other uncle Allan then stepped into the Christchurch operation and renamed it Slade Farm and had a go as well.
“We lived in Waikari, which is North Canterbury and that’s where the stud farm was. I didn’t have much to do with horses up until then and while we were waiting for our visas and residency we lived on the farm with my uncle and his family.
“I was at school and in the afternoons and on weekends worked with all the horses. That was my first taste of farming and bloodstock.”
Slade learned his lessons well from his uncle and knew that was the industry path he wanted to follow.
“He was a very good horseman and very much a purist in terms of wanting to grow good racehorses. He had a lot of success breeding top racehorses on different farms.
“In South Africa, there is a premiership for breeders based on prize money won and the farms he managed were top of the game. He was very knowledgeable and skilful and that’s where I got my passion from.”
Coolmore contact
At his uncle’s encouragement, Slade also made contact with a global thoroughbred giant.
“He got me to write to the guys at Coolmore – Duncan Grimley and Michael Kirwan were there – and every year they’d send me the brochure,” he said.
“I can still remember the 1997 one with Thunder Gulch on the front. That set my global perspective on things. I studied the pedigrees and also the people involved in the game in Australia, as Coolmore often had pictures of leading breeders and buyers in the brochure.”
During his school holidays, Slade ventured further afield and worked at Bloomsbury Stud, Highview, Rich Hill Stud and Arrowfield in Australia.
“I finished up High School and had a gap year and went back to South Africa with my uncle and did the other half of the breeding season with Rich Hill,” he said.
“Mum was very keen for me to go University and I did that and got a Bachelor of Commerce, but knowing that I always wanted to be involved with horses.
“It was a great time at Otago University and funnily enough at the same time there were a few of us in the racing game including Vicky Leonard, who is obviously now with TDN and Kick, Mike Rennie who is working for Waikato Stud and Andy Williams, who is now a bloodstock agent in his own right.”
During his Otago days, Slade worked for the Anderton family’s White Robe Lodge Stud, located just outside Dunedin, based on the breeding side of the farm run by Wayne and Karen Stewart.
Sunline Scholarship
Slade subsequently won the 2008 NZTBA Sunline International Management Scholarship, which opened new doors and he spent time at Cheveley Park Stud in England, at Coolmore’s operation in Ireland and at Taylor Made Farm in the United States.
“It’s a great scholarship the industry in New Zealand put together,” Slade said. “To work with top end management at three leading farms around the world was incredible. It was a great overall experience.”
On his return to New Zealand, he took up a dual role as Marketing Assistant and South Island Bloodstock Representative/Auctioneer for New Zealand Bloodstock.
“I had my heart set on being an auctioneer and I got the opportunity to do that here,” Slade said. “Petrea Vela was very good to me there and she was Gai-like in that she demanded perfection. I had to write the marketing stories and needless to say my use of the English language improved greatly under Petrea.”
Change of direction
Then followed an out of the blue meeting with Gai Waterhouse, which was to change Slade’s career direction.
“I was bid spotting at the National Yearling Sale and I used to be quite a passionate bid spotter,” he said. “I felt like every bid meant so much to people. ”
“Gai didn’t know me and walked down and said young man I’d like to offer you a job in Sydney. I said thanks very much, very kind. I said I’d like to think about it and she said don’t think about it, just come and so I arrived in Sydney to a job that didn’t really exist.”
The first role Slade took on was to help Waterhouse edit her book and publicise that book, a role he hadn’t had experience with, travelling around co-ordinating book launches.
“I then got into the role as Racing Manager under Kate Grimwade, who went to Godolphin after that in the UK. She’s a great person and a hard worker and had a great way about her.”
Slade was also in for a few early surprises working with the Waterhouse operation, during a period where he met wife Natasha with whom he has two young boys.
“The first thing Gai did was send me to David Jones for a new wardrobe. I was at Rob’s hairdresser the next afternoon because I was a bit rough around the edges,” he said.
“The first thing Gai did was send me to David Jones for a new wardrobe.” – Bruce Slade.
“She sent me to driving school again, because I wasn’t up to scratch driving her around. I was 23 there with a group of 16-year-olds doing a defensive driving course.
“She’s just a perfectionist. If you thought you were too busy and under the pump she just wouldn’t take no for an answer and you learned to say yes.”
In 2013, Slade set up his own racing syndication company, Round Table Racing, which worked exclusively with Waterhouse until December 2014.
“That was quite stressful, there was a lot of money on the line,” he said. “We did 25-odd during my time at Round Table and I got to the end of the year and hadn’t slept a lot with the pressure.”
It was therefore perfect timing from Newgate’s Henry Field to approach Slade with his current job offer.
“I felt like I was going back to more security and less stress. I’d worked at a top end auction house, a top end racing stable where we won two Slippers, a Melbourne Cup, a Caulfield Cup, the Doncaster and a Magic Millions.
“It was an amazingly enjoyable time and I felt it would be great to go to a stud farm on the up. That’s the challenge we have at Newgate now.
“It was an amazingly enjoyable time and I felt it would be great to go to a stud farm on the up.” – Bruce Slade.
“Henry has an incredible mind and he’s a very dynamic guy. He’s really taught me a lot, mostly about the business side of things.”
Newgate was founded by Field in 2010 on a 250 acre leased property and has since grown in size and stature to one of the Hunter’s finest properties with a quality stallion roster and a leading yearling consignor.
“What he’s done in a short space of time I don’t think has been done before,” Slade said. “You surround yourself with the very best people, that’s where you learn the most and I’m very grateful to be part of the team.
“There’s a long way to go still and a champion stallion is the name of the game. We want to get to a point where we’re selecting stallions in such a way to increase our odds.
“What he’s done in a short space of time I don’t think has been done before.” – Bruce Slade.
“There’s never one way with Henry. He’s an incredible guy and you can hardly have an argument with him, he’s always open-minded to suggestions and pulling bits of information from different places.
“We focussed on the fastest sons and went hard with that approach and we’re more open minded than that now. A horse through that middle range like Dundeel isn’t a horse we’d necessarily have bought previously, but we’d be open to that now.
“You’ve got to keep moving and shaking with the market and adjusting all the time and that’s what Henry is really good at.”
Working for Gai Waterhouse Racing for my work placement has been such an eye-opening experience that has already taught me so much in only a short time.
Since being here, I have gained a wealth of once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as strapping at race days with my favourite being swimming horses on the beach next to Sydney airport. Being given the opportunity to ride the horses in their water work as the sun is rising is truly incredible and I still cannot believe it is a part of my job.
Another aspect of my job is running the tie up stalls where horses are sent out to work in the mornings. Running these stalls has opened my eyes to the incredibly fast pace of the industry and has forced me to improve my efficiency, ability to read work lists and coordinate with foremen, track riders and pony riders.
Working with the racehorses has improved my confidence levels in handling all sorts many different types of horses a huge amount as well. High strung horses prone to spooking or jumping whilst being handled used to rattle me a little. However, working with them every day I am now unfazed by silly behaviours, which really excites me and builds a lot of confidence.
I am looking forward to seeing what more is in store for the remainder of my placement at Gai Waterhouse Racing. I’m looking forward to seeing what else I am able to learn from this exciting experience.
Only a few months after driving nearly seven hours to watch Winx’s fairy tale ending in her final race, 16-year-old Holly Turnbull wrote her own fairy tale when competing in the prestigious Six-Bar event at the North West Equestrian Expo otherwise known as ‘Coona’!
‘Coona’ is the largest Interschool Event in Australia and has been running for 25 years. The expo attracts an average of 600 riders and 700 horses each June to compete in various disciplines including showjumping, dressage, polocrosse, hacking and sporting. The competitors take on other school teams over the five days and concludes with a closing ceremony and overall points tally.
An accomplished polocrosse rider, Turnbull had no expectations of success when she entered the Six-Bar at Coona with her off-the-track thoroughbred Crafty Vixen – a 13-year-old mare bought for just $300 by her mother Rosie who’d seen her run last in a three horse race at Coonamble years previously.
While Rosie bought the mare as her own project and never intended for her daughter to take the mount, that changed a few years after they purchased her.
“After about three years in the paddock, I told mum I wanted to ride her and we just started from there,” Holly said. “Mum worked on her and I took her to Pony Camp and took her other places and she was good. I was about 11 when I started riding her. I love horses and they are my passion, so put me on anything and I’ll ride it.”
As a boarder at Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth, Holly’s riding time with Crafty Vixen was limited leading into Coona and she relied on her mother doing flatwork with the mare back home in Quambone. While they knew she was a good jumper, they had no idea just how successful she would be when they entered the class.
“I haven’t jumped her since last year. She’s only been in for about three weeks’ work; my mum did flat work while I was away at school and that was it. I had no expectations at all. I thought I was going to be out at 1 metre because that was all I’ve ever done on her and then all of a sudden, we were at 1.25m and then 1.35m. I thought we’d knock at 1.35m so I thought I’d just ride it and see what we’d do. I just tried to do the best for my horse and when I went over the fence, everyone was cheering. It was crazy, it was an incredible feeling. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.”
Competing against over 100 other riders, Holly and Crafty Vixen were the only pair to go clear through all five rounds with the fence in the final round set at 1.35 metres.
Their victory came just a month and a half after Holly found plenty of inspiration watching Winx run in her final race, a victory she won’t soon forget.
“We drove nearly seven hours from Quambone to Sydney to watch Winx. I was with my mum and dad and one of my sisters flew down from the Gold Coast; it was my first time at Randwick and the atmosphere was crazy. It is an amazing complex and it was an experience I will never forget. I used to always want to be a jockey when I was younger and I’m even more motivated after watching that.”
While Holly plans on studying Psychology at university, she is currently toying with the thought of spending her gap year in the racing industry.