Q&A with TIC Graduate April
In our series featuring current and previous Explorer Cadetship cadets, we go back to our first intake. April Cooper graduated from the program earlier this year and currently works at Godolphin’s Northwood Park as a stud hand as she works towards her goal of becoming a farm manager.
What is the best part of your day?
The best part of my day is definitely working with the young horses. It is amazing to see how much they are willing to learn and to get to know their individual personality traits.
What’s your biggest realisation about working with horses?
My biggest realisation would have to be that you never ever stop learning and you will never know everything. Each and every horse is different and will react in their own individual ways to situations and you have to be able to adapt and remember certain reactions whist still treating all horses with the same respect.
What wakes you up in the morning?
The thing that wakes me up in the morning would be that I work with an amazing group of people and get to work with a high quality of horses. I love that I learn something new every single day and that my supervisors are always more than willing to help me broaden my knowledge and experience.
What’s your least favourite job of the day?
My least favourite part of the day will always have to be cleaning up yards or doing boxes. Although it is nice when a horse will happily come up to you for pats whilst you are cleaning their yard.
What is your current ambition in the thoroughbred industry?
My main ambition would to be hopefully one day be able to manage a stud farm of my own. My mind may change as time goes on but I am extremely happy with what I am doing as a stud hand right now and want to keep learning as much as I can in the breeding industry.
