Sky Sports Racing is delighted to announce a new partnership with the BHA’s ‘Step on Track’ Programme. Conceived by the BHA’s Careers in Racing team, the focus for the week will be to develop interest in our sport from those groups currently underrepresented in horseracing. Aimed at 16 to 19 year-olds, the first ‘Step on Track’ comprises a week-long programme of inspirational and educational talks involving high-profile names from across all areas of the horseracing industry.

Sky Sports Racing is available in 14 million UK homes while attheraces.com generates up to 13 million user sessions per month.  ‘Step on Track’ has been promoted via weekly emails, social media posts, banners on attheraces.com, as well as interviews on Sky Sports Racing with Zoe Elliott, Head of Careers Marketing and Recruitment at the BHA. Moving forward, and in partnership with the BHA, the broadcaster will use its breadth of media platforms to try and introduce people to our sport from diverse ethnic backgrounds and encourage them to consider a career within it.

Chief Executive of At The Races and Sky Sports Racing, Matthew Imi, said:

“Like many sports, British horseracing needs to better reflect the demographics of the society within which we all live and work. Sky Sports Racing and At The Races very much share the BHA’s ambition to drive for greater diversity and inclusivity and, especially, appeal to those from BAME backgrounds to look at what we have to offer by way of career paths within our sport. We attach considerable importance to the opportunity to partner with the BHA on such a worthwhile initiative and are in ongoing discussions with the BHA on further ideas which can be put in place. The programme of events that the Careers in Racing team have been able to put on during next week’s ‘Step on Track’ will provide participants with a broad range of career options they might want to consider and we are very grateful to all of our colleagues within the sport who are supporting us with their time and expertise. Along with organising work experience and mentoring, this is the sort of initiative which will help expose horseracing to those from ethnic minority backgrounds and allow them to explore career opportunities in racing, the UK’s second largest spectator sport.”

Zoe Elliott, Head of Careers Marketing and Recruitment at the BHA said:

“We were delighted that when Sky Sports Racing heard the news about our Step on Track Programme, they were immediately keen to get more involved.  Having them as a partner will enable us to reach a wide audience, as well as provide us with the opportunity to showcase the broadcast side of racing, be that in front of or behind the camera.  When anyone is thinking what they might want to do work wise,  they really need to be able to ‘see it’ in order to understand that they can ‘be it’ so making career options and job roles visible – and having BAME ambassadors –  is really important to careersinracing.  We are very much looking forward to developing the Step on Track Programme over the next few years.”

Notes to editors:

About Sky Sports Racing and At The Races

Sky Sports Racing is the UK’s largest, dedicated horseracing TV channel and is produced at Sky’s studios alongside all other Sky Sports channels.

Sky Sports Racing is available in 14 million multi-channel homes across the UK and Ireland at no extra cost to Sky and Virgin Media subscribers.

attheraces.com and the At The Races app form the UK and Ireland’s leading digital platform for horse racing and generate up to 13 million user sessions per month (Google Analytics).

About Careersinracing

Careers in Racing  is the careers marketing arm of the BHA, providing marketing activity and support to promote working in British racing. Campaigns include extensive digital marketing targeted at school leavers to promote training opportunities with a focus on racehorse care apprenticeships delivered by the National Horseracing College, British Racing School, The National Stud and Scottish Racing Academy.

Other marketing activity, which promotes the broad range of career opportunities across the sport, includes partnerships with Racing To School, The Pony Racing Authority, equine event sponsorship, attendance at equine & recruitment events and engagement with schools, equine colleges and universities.  Experiential Explore Racing Days, Step on Track and British Horseracing Graduate Development Programme all represent programmes of activity available for people to get more support and advice on starting a career in the racing industry.