New direction for Julianne Christopher

Julianne Christopher, for the best part of a decade, has been the quiet achiever of New South Wales breeding. For nine years she’s been the executive officer at Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (HTBA), and for five she’s held the same role at Thoroughbred Breeders New South Wales (TBNSW).

But all good things come to an end and, this week, Christopher revealed she was moving on from her concurrent roles. She will join the Newcastle Jockey Club (NJC) in a specially tailored position of corporate partnerships and community specialist.

It brings to an end a near-decade of industry immersion and service in Scone. Christopher has been the steady, likeable face of HBTA and, adjunctly, TBNSW.

In the last 48 hours, she has been swamped by phone calls and messages from breeders, stud staff and other industry participants. They’ve wished her well, bemoaned her upcoming exit and reminded her of the good job that she’s done.

“It’s only now, in announcing my departure, that people are telling me what I’ve done all these years,” Christopher said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “You sort of forget because you just do, you get on with things. I’ve been told I’m a quiet achiever, that I don’t put things out there for everyone to know. And that’s what I did. I got things done for the benefit of all of us.”

Christopher’s tenure, at HTBA in particular, coincided with some of the industry’s most pressing concerns in recent times.

There were the years of extended and unreasonable drought across the state, and, in 2019, catastrophic bushfires. Less than a year later, it was COVID-19 and, as that eased, record-level flooding.

“The burdens weren’t all mine to carry alone,” she said. “I’d already been through varying situations with different companies I’d worked for prior to this role, although not necessarily natural disasters. So, it helped me, I guess, to take everything in my stride and to deal with all these things that needed to be dealt with.”

It was Christopher’s stoic, cool-headed approach to difficult situations that led the HTBA through so many of its challenges.

For two years through COVID, her phone rang non-stop with questions, queries and concerns about state borders, breeding seasons and vaccinations. The calls came from breeders, stud staff and the media, and they were relentless.

Christopher was often the calm in the bureaucratic storm and the cool-hand communicator back and forth between red tape and industry participants, and she’s only just learning this week how appreciated she has been.

“It’s humbling,” she said. “I didn’t realise any of that, I guess. Learning how many journeys I’ve had an impact on, that’s been really satisfying. I feel grateful that I’ve been able to help and serve, and it’s really important that I’ve been able to make a difference in people’s journeys and businesses and supported them along the way through some really tough times.”

Giving it everything

At heart, Christopher is a country girl, which has helped her career immensely.

She grew up in rural Camden on a family farm and sawmill, riding ponies and rearing livestock, and her exposure to all equestrian sports, including racing, was guaranteed.

Professionally, she was everything from a florist and business trainee to a law clerk in Sydney, a marketing and accounting student to a pool-parts and service manager. In her own words, her career was constantly evolving until she relocated to Scone on a then temporary 12-month tenure. Nearly a decade later, she’s still there.

“If you’re really passionate about the industry, you’ll give it everything you’ve got,” she said of her career in racing and breeding. “That’s where it came from with me, that passion for the industry.

“I managed to do this job and raise two children while I was in it, and yes, the hours might be long at times, or stressful. But if you’re committed, you’ll give it everything and it won’t compromise the other important things. That’s what I tried to do.”

Under Christopher’s guidance, the HTBA blossomed into something very significant in the Hunter Valley. She has very little ego, but she’s proud of this fact.

“The Hunter is such a good test ground for many things that happen in the industry,” she said. “I’ve been very, very fortunate to test a lot of ideas and innovations, and then watch them grow. It’s like seed planting. You get opportunities with some really great people to put ideas forward, plant them and then water them behind the scenes. In some instances, they’ve grown into a national thing, which has been wonderful.”

The greatest hits

Christopher’s list of ‘greatest hits’ is a good one. For example, she was a brainchild, one of a few, in the establishment of the now state-wide New South Wales Workforce Development Project. It was an intense collaboration between various industry bodies, including TBNSW, HTBA and Racing NSW.

The pilot of this important project occurred in the Hunter Valley, and it has delivered free industry training to over 600 new and existing industry participants. It has received over $2 million in grant funding and has gone a very long way in tackling the industry’s staff crisis.

But there's more.

In late December 2021, when the Queensland border was still locked and the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale might as well have been overseas, such was the impact on New South Wales breeders, Christopher and the HTBA organised a private pathology team to set up sticks in a hurry. PCR tests were needed, results had to be quick and district stress-levels were sky high.

“That was a challenge,” she said. “Everyone was trying to cross the border to get to Magic Millions and I don’t know how I did it. Getting a pathology company with a mobile unit to come to Scone to test hundreds of people at a time, that was no mean feat, even I have to admit.

“It wasn’t exactly how I thought I’d be spending my new year, that’s for sure.”

As epic as these achievements were, nevertheless, they aren’t even the feather in Christopher’s cap. That honour belongs to the HTBA Awards, and, in particular, a few specific awards that were introduced in 2016.

“I developed a couple of awards for the Hunter Valley and I tried to really push them with the largest group of breeders,” she said. “I thought it was really important to embrace the people who are our backbone because we wouldn’t have our businesses if it weren’t for these people.

“That really hit a tone for me and it’s always been a passion piece. It not only transformed the event that is the annual HTBA Awards, but it helped to boost that message more broadly.”

The awards in question are the HTBA Employee of the Year in administration, horsemanship and leadership. They’ve brought a relatability to the ceremony that goes beyond just the achievements of brilliant equines, and they’re an idea that was picked up nationally too.

“People love coming to this event now because it’s great to celebrate the horses, but it’s now about celebrating the people too,” Christopher said. “And the room just comes to life when it’s time to present the people awards, which is so beautiful to see.

“Having things like this, where it’s started in the Hunter and expanded out to a national level, that’s been very exciting, and it’s not something I take sole credit for. There’s always a team behind it, but this event is one that I’ve particularly loved growing year in, year out.”

Sea change

Christopher will wrap up her responsibilities in Scone this year, eventually relocating closer to the coast and her new job. One of her primary motivations for a career change was the water, as both her and her husband Corey are enthusiastic boaters.

Her daughters, aged 16 and 21, have carved career directions of their own, so Christopher says it was a good time for a sea change, as much as she will miss her deep friendships in Scone.

“An opportunity arose with the Newcastle Jockey Club (NJC) that aligned perfectly with my values,” she said. “It will give me the chance to meet more people in that Newcastle area, and that’s what I’m all about. The NJC is in a growth stage as well, and they’re looking to diversify their profile. That’s something I know I will really enjoy.”

You can’t help but think that the NJC has landed a handy catch. There are few industry figures as selfless and as high-achieving as Christopher, and she has every intention of bringing her work ethic from Scone to Newcastle this year.

In her wake, HTBA and TBNSW are open to expressions of interest from any new candidate seeking a career in industry administration. The roles are open to be tailored, and include part- and full-time opportunities, with Christopher very keen to talk to any prospective candidates who might be interested.

“I’ve set up the office and grown the organisation so that there is huge opportunity for someone to come in and grow in the role while being part of something bigger,” Christopher said. “If you can find a purpose in your career, it really does spark a passion to drive things forward.”