Jockeys from all over the UK helped facilitate public engagement, especially with young people, during the fourth annual National Racehorse Week from Sept. 7-15.
The week-long event is a nationwide celebration of the thoroughbred racehorse, giving the public a chance to attend 100+ free events. Over 13,800 free spaces at events were made available to the public and an additional 4,000 people are engaged through the 50 community events which have been taking place, 10 of which being school visits.
Helping with an inner-city experience, jump jockey Charlie Todd visited afterschool club Free@last in Birmingham, with trainer Richard Phillips and his racehorse Fighting Poet who had raced at Brighton just the day before.
Other community events included:
- Schools – Jockeys James Bowen, Lilly Pinchin, Jo Mason and Paul Mulrennan have visited schools in York, Hungerford and Oxfordshire. Overall, there has been 10 school visits across the week as well as schools visiting yards and racecourses.
- Hospitals – New Beginnings (a racehorse retraining and rehoming charity) visited Stockton Hall Hospital with an ex-racehorse.
- Youth and charity groups – Autism in Racing, Unique Kidz, BHS Changing Lives, West Sussex Minds, Urban Equinz, Free@last and more.
During the public open days members of the public can experience the day-to-day workings of a racing yard with the opportunity to meet the racehorses up close. Jockeys have also been giving demonstrations at the public open days throughout the week. To find out more about the week, please visit the National Racehorse Week website.
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