Horse racing will be front and centre stage next week when the sporting spotlight falls on Cheltenham but Horse Racing Ireland is also focussing on the longer game with initiatives to ‘future proof’ the sport.
Limerick, Leopardstown and more recently Fairyhouse have hosted very popular student days where the social side of a day at the races has been put before thousands of third level students who might otherwise not have the sport on their agenda.
Yesterday the first named of those tracks went even younger in the reach for the racegoers of tomorrow and beyond by hosting the first ‘Go Racing Kids’ Club’ Day of 2015.
The objective of the ‘Go Racing Kids’ Club’ initiative is to build ties between racecourses and their local communities, encouraging an affinity with racing which will install an interest and a better understanding among future racegoers.
The activities educate school children about racing and show them what happens behind-the-scenes at the racecourse.
A total of 285 fifth and sixth class pupils from local schools took part in demonstrations from the Racing Academy & Centre of Education, and heard talks from jockey Ken Whelan and local Limerick trainer John Fitzgerald about their day-to-day routines and life in racing.
The pupils also met Limerick Racecourse’s General Manager, Conor O’Neill, who explained how the team at Limerick Racecourse prepares for a raceday. The children were entertained by Annemarie Cullen from ‘Front Runner – Racing Club for Kids’ with racing games, puzzles and quizzes. She also showed the pupils racing silks, horse shoes, racing tack, and feed.
There is always much talk in sports marketing about attracting and communicating with ‘Millenialls’ but this is a smart move to instil an interest in the sport while family remains the most important influence on a young mind.
Add in the fact that kids go racing for free up to the age of 16 and you can see where the payback might come for racecourses in attracting an audience of families and parents that will build legacies for the longer term.
All the pupils received a ‘Go Racing Kids’ Club’ goodie bag at the end of yesterday’s racing including complimentary tickets for their families to go racing at Limerick.
Here is an outline of how the children spent their day:
Station 1: Parade Ring – Meet a Trainer
A trainer talks to the pupils about how their yard prepares for a race day, how to train a racehorse, what a horse eats and how much exercise it must get. The trainer will bring a horse with him/her and will go through the anatomy of a horse and show the students how to tack up for racing.
Station 2: The Weigh Room – Meet a Jockey
The students are brought into the jockey’s weigh room where they meet and speak to a jockey. The jockey explains how he/she became a jockey, what it takes to be a jockey, how he/she prepares for races and answers any questions the students may have.
Station 3: R.A.C.E – Racing Simulator
Representatives from R.A.C.E (Racing Academy & Centre of Education) are present with their racehorse simulator to talk to the students about their jockey trainee course. An instructor demonstrates, using the racehorse simulator, how to ride a racehorse. Some of the students from each group have a go on it too.
Station 4: Front Runner – Racing Club for Kids
Annemarie Cullen from ‘Front Runner – Racing Club for Kids’ takes the children during their break and shows them a range of racing equipment, props and visuals that are required for racing, including silks, horse shoes, racing tack, feed, etc. This gives children an insight into racing in a fun and interactive way.
Station 5: Racecourse Track Manager
The students then meet the Racecourse Track Manager. They learn about how the Racecourse Track Manager and the team at the racecourse prepares the track/ground for a race day.
