Leona Hughes

Marketing assistant, Punchestown Racecourse

FROM a young age I knew that the equine business degree at Maynooth was where I wanted to study after school as I loved the thoroughbred industry. I come from a family involvement with horses and the industry so I had good practical experience. However, I wanted to learn more about the business side of the industry.

The equine business degree in Maynooth University is such a diverse course. We covered important industry related topics in class and with the guest speakers and a broad range of business subjects. I found this combination extremely valuable when it came to taking the next step on the career ladder.

After graduating I was selected as an intern on the ITBA Next Generation programme. This is an excellent programme and was the perfect complement to my equine business course content.

I am currently working as a Marketing Assistant in Punchestown Racecourse and absolutely love it! I would highly recommend the BBS in equine business to anyone thinking of doing it.

Kim Kearns

Stud groom, Castleton Lyons

ONCE an amateur dressage diva and show jumping enthusiast (term used loosely), I was bitten by the very commonly known racing bug a few years ago.

With an awareness of career opportunities within the racing industry that intrigued me, I chose Maynooth University to equip myself with a degree in equine business. At the age of 23, I started in Maynooth as a mature student. I felt pressure being the older classmate going back to education, but nonetheless channeling this emotion into fuel to get stuck into absolutely everything while in this young and creative environment.

The curriculum is very business focused and the course is specifically designed to arm you with what I can only describe in one word and that is versatility.

Niamh O’Sullivan designed the course and she has education and experience in abundance, to aid you in taking what you want from the course. What I took from the course and what I stated previously was versatility.

The course opened up opportunities to me during the three years and still does now as a graduate. An internship with Donn McClean and working within a breeding operation with great mentors such as Sinead Whelan of Lehan Bloodstock, Dermot Cantillon and Meta Osborne of Tinnakill House Stud, to which I hold a great deal of appreciation for the development in my career.

The course gears you with more than tools to understand how a mare’s cycle works or how to do ledger accounts. It opens up the industry to you, and if you embrace every opportunity it allows you create your own path.

I currently work on a stud farm in Lexington Kentucky. An opportunity which I am thoroughly enjoying and embracing. Hopefully with progression and a bit of luck this will help get me to where I want to be in a managerial role on a thoroughbred stud farm.

Annamarie Mulligan

Third year student

I HAD always looked for a way to combine my love for horses with my career and following an open day at Maynooth University I knew that the equine business degree was the best way for me to do it.

What really drew me to the course was the option for a work placement in third year as it would allow me to gain some work experience in the thoroughbred industry before I graduated. This gave me the opportunity to travel to Australia to work at the prestigious Widden Stud in New South Wales’s Hunter Valley.

I am currently taking part in a yearling prep following four months in the stud office where I gained valuable insights into the administration associated with the breeding season. After the sales I will have the opportunity to work with a trainer which will allow me to see different sides of the Australian industry and compare it to our thoroughbred sector at home.

Another aspect that really appealed to me about the equine business degree was, that in addition to the equine modules, the degree gives students a comprehensive understanding of business and management in general through subjects such as human resource management, marketing and accounting, to name a few.

Through guest speakers, I have the chance to meet people from different levels and areas of the industry which is creating a valuable network for the future. After graduation I would love to pursue a career in welfare of racehorses or the promotion of the Irish thoroughbred industry worldwide. As someone who only ever had horses as a hobby, the equine business degree truly opens many doors to turn a passion into a career.

Ian Lang

Final year student

I GREW up, like many young people interested in horses, gaining valuable practical experience working in my local riding school and then as a groom in racing and sport horse yards.

During my final year in school, the course in Maynooth University came to my attention. Following a chat with the course director, Niamh O’Sullivan, I was happy that this programme would complement my practical experience and give me the knowledge and understanding that I needed to pursue a career in the equine industry.

The specialised equine modules provide a comprehensive understanding of the industry but from management perspective. These lectures covered the size, economic impact, funding and success of the equine industry. In addition we learnt about strategies for the future development of the various equine sectors and, as part of this, the importance of attracting talented young people to the industry.

I availed of the 12-month placement option, which was excellent. I was extremely fortunate to gain a placement with Godolphin and was based in Kildangan Stud. I worked as a stud groom and administrative assistant.

I was then offered the fantastic opportunity to spend a further three months with Darley Japan in their pre-training facility in Hokkaido.

After my four years spent studying equine business, I feel I have acquired an excellent bank of knowledge to utilise for whatever career options may present themselves either in the equine industry or in another sector.

James O’Brien

Third year student

WHEN I was informed that the equine business degree in Maynooth University would offer me the chance to study equine science abroad for a year at the University of Kentucky (UK) during my very first week in Maynooth, it was something that I was immediately interested in.

As I am about to depart for my second semester in UK, I can say that it is an opportunity that I am delighted to have taken. The diversity of modules available to me out there are fantastic and vary from equine anatomy to thoroughbred investments.

Most of my time spent over here has been committed to college since the course is quite labour intensive. The college put on career fairs for equine students that allows you to talk to and discuss possible future career goals with some very prominent names in the industry and provides an excellent networking opportunity.

With Keeneland only being a 15 minute drive from campus, it makes attending any sales or race days that are occurring a simple task. The college also offer opportunities to visit the stud farms that surround Lexington with some personal highlights being able to visit Medaglia d’Oro at Jonabell Farm, seeing Tapit at Gainesway Farm and getting the chance to discuss Darby Dan’s groundbreaking breeding plan with their new stallion Copper Bullet with Ryan Norton, the stallion director of Darby Dan.

Upon my return to Ireland, I will go back to Maynooth University in September to complete my final year of equine business and going forwards I would like to see myself involved in the marketing sector of the thoroughbred and breeding industries.

Tadhg Dooley

Final year student

FOR as long as I can remember all I have wanted to do is work with horses. My first love was hunting and it is still a huge passion of mine, much to the dismay of my lecturers as it can tend to interfere with some of their classes!

I am lucky as I grew up in the heart of the thoroughbred county. With the encouragement of my programme director, Niamh O’ Sullivan, I have continued to gain as much industry experience as possible and have been fortunate to work in companies such as TRI equestrian, Derrinstown Stud, Goffs, Madeline Tylicki Racing and currently with Ross O’Sullivan racing. I also spent a summer in Kentucky after finishing the second year of my degree programme.

The modules I have enjoyed the most over the last three years are the specialised equine business modules. The content included learning about key industry organisations in first year, to the nuances of managing breeding stock and the use of stud farm software packages such as Equisoft in second year.

Now in my final year I have just completed a module on race day and equine event management. Equine business has given me a comprehensive insight into the thoroughbred industry domestically and internationally. I feel this degree will benefit me greatly in the future.