We’re bringing down the curtain on Racing Home 2022 with a pair of absolutely cracking women today, as we discuss navigating your role in life, whether that’s as a mother, a wife, a single parent or someone without kids, someone who works or someone who doesn’t, and how you find satisfaction in the life that you’ve carved out.

How do you tread the path that others expect of you, and that you expect of yourself? In the case of my two guests today, part of that role is as “the wife” (or “the bloody wife” as Alice neatly calls it) to a successful man. 

Alice Plunkett will need no introduction to most of you, as she graces our television sets most weekends through the winter as part of the team at ITV Racing. Al remains the only woman to have ridden round Badminton Horse Trials and the national fences at Aintree, and she has 4 children aged 8, 10, 16 and 17. Her husband is a guy who in her words is “really good at jumping jumps” - that’s Olympic three day eventer William Fox Pitt - and they’ve got 28 boxes at home, with youngstock, ponies, hunters and top class eventers on the farm, as well as a farming business, holiday lets and working pupils from across the globe living on site.

Leanne Pipe has worked in racing for almost thirty years and is a prominent part of the operation at Pond House in Somerset, the home of previous winners of the Grand National, Paddy Power Gold Cup, the Hennessy Gold Cup and multiple races at the Cheltenham festival. Leanne is married to trainer David Pipe, and together they have 3 children aged 6, 10 and 12, as well as around 90 horses in training and 45 staff in their team. It’s busy.

Alice recently went down to Pond House with a camera crew from ITV Racing to feature Leanne and the team there, particularly highlighting the work of the brilliant women who’ve been at the yard for 20 years or more. Watch the video here!

Useful links

Follow Alice on Twitter, and the ITV Racing team

Follow Leanne and David on Twitter

Check out the Racing Home website here (there's LOADS of useful info there)

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

And finally, the Women in Racing website is here too!

One the wonderful surprises about this podcast and the Racing Home project is the number of people who’ve said to us that the topics and ideas we’ve been discussing and highlighting are now much more front and centre of their thoughts and conversations at work than they ever have been before, and that they’re really trying to implement change within their small sphere of the racing bubble. 

If you’re a man of a certain age with grown up children like Stephen Padgett, or a childfree running-loving thirty-something woman like Susannah Gill, then the realities and pressures of a lot of the topics we’ve covered in the podcast aren’t necessarily crossing your mind on a daily basis. Although as you’ll hear, that’s all about the change for Susannah…

Suz and Stephen have kindly joined me today, and I am really grateful to both of them for their absolute honesty on this topic. You’ll hear Stephen talk openly about how he never dealt with his only children’s nappies, and how he does much more as a grandfather than he did when his kids were little, and Susannah on how running and travel have previously been much higher priorities for her than starting a family.  

But mainly, we’re talking about change. Changes in thoughts, actions and attitudes - both their own and those of the people around them. I’ll let Suz introduce herself first.

Useful links

Check out the National Horseracing College website here, and the Tote website here!

Follow Stephen on Twitter

Follow Susannah on Twitter

Check out the Racing Home website here (there's LOADS of useful info there)

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

And finally, the Women in Racing website is here too!

We’ve talked a lot in previous episodes of the podcast about parenthood, work, the juggle and the balance of making it ALL fit together in life, however you choose to live it. But today I’ve got the pleasure of welcoming two fantastic women to talk about the latter end of women’s careers, and the spectre facing most of us at some point in our forties, fifties or beyond: the menopause.

Like periods, the menopause just used to fall under the bracket of “women’s issues” which were skirted around in the office and often mumbled about with embarrassment and shame. 14 million working days lost annually due to menopause-related symptoms. 63% women report being adversely affected at work by their experiences of the menopause, and 1 in 4 women consider leaving their jobs whilst going through it. 

Now, in part thanks to Davina McCall, Meg Matthews and a slew of other women holding conversations on menopause and being open about their experiences, change is coming, and it’s happening fast. 

I’m joined today to chat about this by Emma Tranter of Salisbury Racecourse, and Suzanne Homewood, a non-exec director at British Dressage and Racing Home supporter.

Useful links

Follow Salisbury Racecourse on Twitter and check out their website here

Watch Davina McCall's Channel 4 series on the menopause here

Listen to the award-winning menopause podcast 'Effin Hormones and award-nominated podcast The Happy Menopause

Check out the Racing Home website here (there's LOADS of useful info there)

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

And finally, the Women in Racing website is here too!

We’ve got two senior women on the corporate and governance side of racing with us today, from the legal and HR elements of the industry. This chat was going to cover a bit about the situation in other sports and other industries, and a bit about their respective careers, but instead it became a wide-ranging conversation covering everything from not making the tea in the boardroom, to miscarriage, to menopause, and as a little trigger warning, we do go into some of this in detail. 

So I’m delighted that today I’m joined by Catherine Beloff and Jayne Greenman.

Catherine is the Director of Legal, Governance and Business Partners at the British Horseracing Authority. She joined the BHA in 2015 and has been a director since 2016. Catherine has a son, Benjamin, who’s 8, and a daughter, Lara who was born just prior to the pandemic starting, and is now 2 ½.

Jayne is the Director of HR at Arena Racing Company. She joined Northern Racing in 2009, and became a director in 2012. Jayne has been a single parent since 2021, and has two children - a son, Hector, who’s now 10, and a daughter, Indiana, who’s 6. 

Useful links

Follow Jayne on Twitter

Watch Davina McCall's Channel 4 series on the menopause here

Check out the Racing Home website here (there's LOADS of useful info there)

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

And finally, the Women in Racing website is here too!

Next week sees the official launch of the Racing Home project at Kempton Racecourse where we’ll be talking - amongst other things - about a hugely exciting revolutionary new project designed by Racing Home in conjunction with the Injured Jockeys Fund and National Association Of Racing Staff to give proper, practical help to women in the industry. I’m delighted to be joined today by two women who’ve been deeply involved in the development of this pilot, Dominique Tortice and Dr. Anna-Louise Mackinnon. 

Dom has worked in racing for 20 years, 11 of which have been in Newmarket. She’s been with the National Association Of Racing Staff for 4 years, and is the project assistant for their education programme, working on upskilling racing staff to help them progress inside the industry, or to move on to further employment elsewhere if desired. Dom has two teenage sons aged 15 and 13 and has been a single parent for 13 years. 

Dr. Anna-Louise Mackinnon is a Consultant in sport and exercise medicine for Injured Jockeys Fund and the British Equestrian Federation as well as practising within the NHS. Having previously ridden out for Andrew Balding and competed in a charity race, Anna-Louise heads up the medical team for the IJF, providing a point of contact for questions from physios, nutritionists, dietitians, psychologists, sport & exercise consultants, liaison teams. She’s a hugely experienced sports medicine doctor and we’re thrilled to have her as part of the Racing Home team. 

Useful links

Email Dom at [email protected] to find out more about the pilot project and get involved

Anna-Louise mentioned This Mum Runs and the Active Pregnancy Foundation, both of which have great info and resources for pregnant women

Check out the Racing Home website here (there's LOADS of useful info there)

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

And finally, the Women in Racing website is here too!

We’ve talked previously about things from a legal perspective, an employers perspective and from a corporate perspective, but what about the young people entering the industry, how they’re taught and what they think? The new generation are vital in creating a sustainable, healthy racing industry, so today we’re talking to two brilliant women from the educational arm of horseracing.

Abbie Taylor is the newly-appointed Education Manager at The National Stud, where she’s responsible for looking after the Entry to Stud Employment Programmes, the Diploma in Stud Practice and Management, and the other advanced education courses run by the stud. She has been previously a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and at Abingdon and Witney College, worked for Malcolm Bastard’s pre-training operation, spent time at Hillwood Stud, and worked for various racing trainers including Tim Vaughan and Jonathan Portman, so she has a broad and deep knowledge of the industry gained through experience.

Eleanor Boden is the CEO of the Scottish Racing Academy and has been for the last 3 years, having previously been Community Engagement Co-ordinator for Scottish Racing, and worked with Racing To School and Careers in Racing. Eleanor was also racecourse yard manager at Cartmel Racecourse and rode out for various trainers throughout her education and training. She has also completed a pHD on the “Lived Experiences of Women During Education and Training Provision in the UK and Ireland through to early employment”. Both she and Abbie have careers that are steeped in education and training,so were the perfect people to discuss this aspect of the racing industry with us.

Useful links

Follow The Jockey Club and the Scottish Racing Academy on Twitter

Check out the Racing Home website here (there's LOADS of useful info there)

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

And finally, the Women in Racing website is here too!

The interview you’re going to hear today ranged from serious topics around mental health to gales of laughter as we discussed a potential post-pandemic night out in Dublin, and it was a joy to record, as we discussed family life from an LGBT+ perspective.

Today's guests are Leo Powell, who has been Editor of the Irish Field for 19 years, prior to which he was Director of Sales and Marketing at Goffs. He kept it quiet, but it turns out he’s also the Arts and Theatre columnist for Irish Country Living. Leo has three adult children from an earlier marriage, and now has a partner after coming out in his fifties.

David Letts started in racing at 16 and since graduating from university has worked in various roles from yards to sponsorship jobs. He holds the Thoroughbred Horseracing Industries MBA from the University of Liverpool, where he completed his dissertation on sexual orientation, attitudes and prevalence in the racing industry, and is now completing a PhD in the organisational culture and masculinities of British racing and the impact of that on quality, diversity and inclusion.  David is part of the Diversity in Racing Steering Group and chairs the Racing with Pride committee.

Useful links

Follow Leo on Twitter at @PowellLeo and read his work at The Irish Field and Irish Country Living

Follow David on Twitter at @davidletts21 and read more about Racing With Pride

Listen to Pride and Joy on BBC Sounds

Check out the Racing Home website here (there's LOADS of useful info there)

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

And finally, the Women in Racing website is here too!

The Racing Home website is now up and running! Have a look here

I’ve also had an amazing amount of feedback on the episodes we’ve put out so far, and some incredible conversations with people in the industry about all manner of things to do with motherhood, the menopause, termination for medical reasons, difficulties at work, juggling family and beyond. Thank you all for your messages, and for being so incredibly honest. If you’d like to get in touch then do email us at [email protected]

My guests today are a pair of riding trailblazers.

Lizzie Kelly was a National Hunt jockey who retired in 2020 after becoming the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 in the UK when winning the Kauto Star Novices Chase at Kempton. She now works for Talk Sport plus a couple of other outlets, juggling her media work with 17 month old son Hugo, and the Valentine Bloodstock, the business she runs with her husband Ed.

Dana Mellor has, in her words, “been economically active for 20 years without ever having a  “job””. She rode out for Jack Berry whilst doing a law degree at university, and after finishing her law finals on a Friday, started as an apprentice jockey the following Monday. Dana rode winners in seven countries including Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Japan before returning home. She's worked for JETS and the Injured Jockeys Fund, and is now involved in the Racing Home project via Simply Racing.

Useful links

Follow Lizzie on Twitter at @lizdkelly and @ValentineBStock

Read about Dana's work with Simply Racing

Listen to modern pentahlete Jess Varley on 28ish Days Later podcast talking about menstrual cycles and exercise

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

Women in Racing's website: https://www.womeninracing.co.uk

Ambition.

What does that mean to you? For many women, especially women of colour, LGBTQI+ folk, women with disabilities, and dare we say it - mothers. ambition is still something we often feel inclined to hide. After all, nobody likes a pushy woman, a bossy woman, an assertive woman, or a woman who puts her career above all else, right? 

In 2015, actress and advocate Reese Witherspoon gave a speech in which she said “I believe ambition is not a dirty word. It’s just believing in yourself, and your abilities. What would happen if we were all brave enough to believe in our own ability? To be a little bit more ambitious? I think the world would change.” 

I’ve got two women on the podcast today who are both incredible mothers, and incredibly successful in their careers. They are talented, and capable, and they have ambition, in a good way. 

Zoe Elliott has worked in horseracing for 25 years mostly at the BHA but also as a freelancer. She is Head of Careers Marketing for British Horseracing, where she aims to promote the industry as a fantastic place to work and support people into the workplace through training and the Careers in Racing jobs board. After going through a divorce 3 years ago, Zoe is a single mum of 2 boys, aged 13 and 10. 

Amy Starkey has worked in racing for 20 years, 17 years of which have been at The Jockey Club. Amy started working in betting shops at the age of 18 to fund her way through university, then secured a place on the BHA Graduate Programme. After a stint with ARC, she joined the Jockey Club where she’s now the Managing Director of the eastern region, looking after 7 racecourses in the portfolio - Epsom, Sandown, Kempton Park, Huntingdon, Newmarket, Market Rasen and Nottingham. 

Amy has a 14 month old son called James with her partner, Chris. They also co-parent Chris’s two children from a previous relationship, a 14 year old daughter, and a 10 year old son. 

Useful links

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

Women in Racing's website: https://www.womeninracing.co.uk

I’ve got a couple of brilliant women with me today, with a range of expertise and insights to bring you, talking about everything from maternity pay to shared parental leave to what it’s like recruiting your maternity replacement. 

Gemma Ospedale is a partner in the employment team at law firm RWK Goodman. She specialises in employment law, advising both employers and employees on maternity and paternity rights, flexible working, discrimination and working practices amongst other things. Gemma started out in racing before becoming a lawyer, doing multiple stud seasons and working at Weatherbys, so she’s the perfect person for this interview. As you’ll hear later on, Gemma has also written the guidance documents for the Racing Home website on all things legal, so if you need simple, straightforward advice then you know where to look.

Rose Grissell is Head of Diversity and Inclusion for British Horseracing. She’s employed by the British Horseracing Authority, but holds responsibilities across the entire industry for D&I, co-ordinating and implementing the recommendations of the Diversity in Racing Steering Group’s Action Plan, and working with all stakeholders to better understand and improve diversity and inclusion. Rose comes from a family steeped in racing, and has ridden all her life, including in point-to-points. She is also currently 6 months pregnant, so is also - in a different way - uniquely placed to contribute to our conversation. 

Useful links

Follow RWK Goodman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rwkgoodman

Follow Rose on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseGrissell

Follow Racing With Pride on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RacingWithPride

Read the Women in Racing and Oxford Brookes research on working mothers in horseracing here

Women in Racing's website: https://www.womeninracing.co.uk