Cover image courtesy of Thoroughbred Breeders Association
Australia’s thoroughbred breeding industry remains one of the strongest and most influential in the world, and Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) continues to play a central role in helping shape its future.
TTR caught up with TBA Head of Advocacy and Communications Meagan McGrath to discuss several key initiatives currently underway, including the Fast Track program, the national Workforce Strategy survey and the evolving Stud Start program.
Fast Track program continues to create pathways
For almost a decade, TBA’s Fast Track program has helped provide a direct pathway into the thoroughbred breeding industry for aspiring horse people across Australia.
The 12-month program offers participants the opportunity to work and train on respected stud farms while completing formal qualifications and learning from some of the industry’s leading operators.
McGrath said the program continued to go from strength to strength thanks to widespread support from the breeding industry.
“The program's been probably our flagship program. It's been going for nine years and it has been very successful, it started well before Andrew and I have been involved and it has always been very well supported.
“The program's been probably our flagship program. It's been going for nine years and it has been very successful.” - Meagan McGrath
“The success of it is because of the support of the industry. The farms do a great job, hosting the trainees, teaching them and also supporting them, while they're doing their normal learning.
“It also helps provide that pipeline, it helps us to connect to people wanting to build a career in this industry and it's so important to do that.”
TBA Fast Track Program | Image courtesy of Thoroughbred Breeders Association
Fast Track is aimed at people with a passion for horses, regardless of their previous equine experience, and has become an important entry point into the industry for many young participants.
The list of farms involved in the reads as a who’s who of Australian breeding farms, including Cressfield, Alma Vale Thoroughbreds, Godolphin, Riversdale Farm, Diwali Thoroughbreds, Fernrigg Farm, North Bloodstock, Yarraman Park Stud, Twin Hills Stud and Widden Stud.
“It is great to have these top farms involved and that helps make the program, we are now also starting to see some of the graduates fill some great roles within the industry.
“We've got Tess O'Connor who's doing nominations at Darley and we have Alison Grooby who is now an Inglis Bloodstock Intern.
“We also have got plenty of people working out on the farms as well, being hands on with the horses. So it's a great program to be able to get your first step in the door, build really good connections, learn how to do things properly and then build from there.”
Meagan McGrath | Image courtesy of Thoroughbred Breeders Association
McGrath said Australia’s willingness to provide opportunities to younger participants remained one of the industry’s greatest strengths.
“It's such a great industry in that way, and in particular in Australia. I think it’s a place that really gives young people a go.
“I think in some parts of the world, the industry is very much about doing your time and keeping it traditional form and having that bit of respect for tradition, where I think Australia can be a little bit more forward thinking and are willing to give good young people a go and listen to what they have to say.
“It’s probably part of the success of our industry, if I'm honest, is the fact that the people that we want to be watching and engaging and enjoying racing are the same generation and have the same language as a lot of people coming through that are decision makers in our industry.”
TBA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hore-Lacy said the program continued to play a vital role in supporting the long-term sustainability of the workforce.
Andrew Hore-Lacy | Image courtesy of Aushorse
“Fast Track continues to give motivated young people a genuine pathway into the thoroughbred industry, while also supporting farms to develop the next generation of skilled workers.” Hore-Lacy said.
“Fast Track continues to give motivated young people a genuine pathway into the thoroughbred industry, while also supporting farms to develop the next generation of skilled workers.” - Andrew Hore-Lacy
“We are grateful to the stud farms who continue to invest their time, resources and guidance into these trainees. Their support is critical to the ongoing success of the program and to the long-term strength of our industry.”
Since its launch, Fast Track has supported more than 220 graduates into careers across the thoroughbred breeding and racing sectors.
Workforce survey delivering valuable industry insight
Another major focus for TBA in recent times has been the implementation of its National Workforce Strategy survey, which attracted more than 520 responses from across the industry.
McGrath said the survey would provide important real-world data to help guide discussions with government and support future workforce planning.
“We have to thank the studs that have been really supportive to have more than 520 responses and it was very important to us that we did this piece of work, in order to be able to inform the discussions with governments around important things like apprenticeship priority lists and being able to influence visas and that sort of thing in order to bring people into our industry.
“But these discussions need to be informed with real-world data and it's not that straightforward to get people to spend time out of their busy lives to fill out a survey, especially in this industry.
“These discussions need to be informed with real-world data and it's not that straightforward to get people to spend time out of their busy lives to fill out a survey.” - Meagan McGrath
“They don't necessarily know what it's representing and how important it is, but to get such a great response, I think, again, it's to the credit of the farms that they recognise how important it is and they have really encouraged their staff to be part of it.”
The survey has helped provide a clearer picture of workforce demographics, motivations and areas where improvement may be needed moving forward.
“So we got a real picture of where our workforce comes from, why they decided to come into the industry, what they like about it, where there's room for better development and where things need to change.
“We're really positively hopeful at this stage that what comes out of this study will be really useful and help us to make sure that we've got a robust workforce going forward.” - Meagan McGrath
“We're really positively hopeful at this stage that what comes out of this study will be really useful and help us to make sure that we've got a robust workforce going forward.
“It’s informative data, you can think things, but to have that data so you can actually prepare and be well-established in terms of the rulings and outs, it's so essential.”
Stud Start program encouraging new entrants
TBA is also continuing to develop its Stud Start program, designed to help people considering a career change explore opportunities within the thoroughbred breeding industry.
The introductory initiative combines practical horse handling, classroom learning, online education, farm visits and presentations from industry participants to provide prospective entrants with a broad understanding of the sector.
McGrath said expressions of interest were currently being sought to help shape the next intake and delivery of the program.
“The Stud Start program has been held for a couple of years.
“It's great in that it provides an opportunity for people wanting to change careers into the industry... we just wanted to reach out and see what the appetite's like before we go ahead and put it into place.” - Megan McGrath
“It's great in that it provides an opportunity for people wanting to change careers into the industry. It's had a couple of different changes to the way that it's established and been fine-tuned. So we just wanted to reach out and see what the appetite's like before we go ahead and put it into place.”
TBA Stud Start Program participants | Image courtesy Thoroughbred Breeders Association
TBA also continues to provide a broad range of online educational resources through its learning platform to help people better understand the industry and the type of work involved.
“We support it completely and we have a really big suite of program's on our TBA learning website for people that are curious about the work, what is involved, that they can look at and work through at their own pace and think about whether it sounds like it could be for them.
“It’s the next step to actually find out that I actually want to go and experience it, be out on the farm and see if it's for me.”
McGrath said working closely with horses often provided benefits beyond just career opportunities, with many participants developing a deep personal connection to the industry.
“The people that work hands-on with horses everyday are sometimes people that you take for granted, but just being around the horses every day, it is an amazing thing for all sorts of reasons such as mental health, closeness to animals, work-life balance.
“Being around the horses every day, it is an amazing thing for all sorts of reasons such as mental health, closeness to animals, work-life balance.” - Meagan McGrath
“There is a great quote that I like from Winston Churchill. 'There is something on the outside of the horse that is good for the inside of a man'.
“I really like that quote and I think that there's a lot in that for the people that work in the industry.
“It’s sort of like a bit of a hidden secret about why so many of the people who work in the industry love working with horses, we need to encourage that and find new people that will learn to feel that way also.”
