National Horseracing College

Today it's GCSE results day 😀

Whatever your results look like when you open your envelope, remember that it doesn't matter what your grades are, you can pursue a career in the horseracing industry.

At the National Horseracing College, you don’t need to have achieved a Level 4 in English and Maths to join our residential Foundation Course.

🐎 12-week Foundation Course
For learners who have achieved GCSE Level 4 or above in both English and Maths.

🐎 16-week Foundation Course
For learners who have not achieved a GCSE Level 4 in English and/or Maths and need to continue developing their skills. You’ll work towards your Functional Skills qualifications during the course.

So, whether your results are exactly what you hoped for, better than expected or not quite what you were aiming for, there's no barrier for starting your journey into racing 💜

Good luck to everyone receiving their GCSE results! 🤞 Whatever happens, remember... one set of results doesn’t define what you can achieve.

Find out more about our Foundation Course and start your journey at the National Horseracing College https://bit.ly/NHCFoundationCourse

📸 World Photography Day | Photography is such a great way to capture the people, horses and moments that make racing so special, and for those working in the industry, it can also open the door to an exciting career path.

The National Association of Racing Staff (NARS) is allowing racing staff to explore their passion for photography through a Photography Course.

The four day course is completely free of charge for racing staff and takes place across 26th and 27th August and 9th and 10th September 2026, with a day spent at the National Horseracing College, Goffs UK Doncaster and Doncaster Racecourse.

We're delighted to be involved and to welcome racing staff to the college as part of the course. Opportunities like this are a brilliant reminder that there are so many different pathways and careers within racing. Whether you're passionate about horses, photography, media or something else entirely, the racing industry has so much to offer.

Find out more about this event via Facebook 👉 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1455926253235461&set=a.460171536144276

We often get asked about our horses: how old they are, how big they are and what they’re like to ride.

So, we thought we’d introduce you to two of our horses who sit at opposite ends of the height scale…

⬆️ Kerry – 17hh
⬇️ Little Jim – 15hh

And yes, there are plenty of horses in between!

Having a wide variety of horses is a really important part of what we do. Foundation Course learners are different weights, heights and have different levels of riding experience, so having horses of different heights, skill requirements and personalities means our learners will experience riding and handling a wide variety of horses.

And yes, we do have four racing ponies too!

Big or small, every one of our horses plays a hugely important part in helping our learners develop their skills 💪

Are you new to the horseracing industry, or are you not sure what the difference is between the jockey licences?

If so, then you may find this useful... ⬇️

How can a jockey licence be achieved? Read more below to find out...

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?
To apply for an Apprentice/Conditional Jockey Licence, the applicant needs to be in full-time employment with a licensed Trainer. That Trainer then needs to nominate the applicant for a licence by submitting an application to the British Horseracing Authority Licensing Team. Once the Trainer has completed their application, the prospective jockey will complete the application.

Before you apply for your licence, you should be working towards, or have completed, the Level 2 Equine Groom (Racing) Apprenticeship.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?
If the applicant is applying for a professional licence (conditional or apprentice) for the first time or has ridden under 20 winners in another jurisdiction, they will be required to attend full training. This involves a one-day Pre-Licence Assessment, followed by a two-week licence course.

𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲/𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘁
To apply for a Category ‘A’ Amateur Rider Permit, all applicants will need to complete a two-day assessment course. These are run and assessed by the National Horseracing College. After passing the assessment, applicants will need to submit an application.

To apply for a Category ‘B’ Amateur Rider Permit, applicants must register their interest via email to the BHA Licensing Team via the NHC. The criteria that must be met to become eligible to attend a course. Once eligible, an applicant will be invited to attend a five-day course at the National Horseracing College.

📲 For more information about how you can begin your journey into employment in the horseracing industry or for more information about our jockey licence courses, visit https://bit.ly/CoursesNHC

👉 Did you know… You don’t have to ride racehorses to have a successful career working with racehorses?

At the National Horseracing College, our residential Foundation Course isn’t just for those who want to ride. We also offer a non-rider pathway for anyone who wants to work with racehorses from the ground, without ever having to get in the saddle.

Some learners choose not to ride. Others may exceed the riding weight of 11 stone. And that’s no barrier at all, because the racing industry is full of incredible careers where riding isn’t required 💪

Roles including:
👉 Racing Groom
👉 Yard/Barn Manager
👉 Travelling Groom (yes, you can travel the world with racehorses!)
👉 Racing Secretary
👉 Racehorse Trainer
👉 Assistant Trainer/Pupil Assistant
👉 Stud Groom
👉 Management positions in racing yards
…and so much more.

You’ll learn all the core skills: horse care, stable management, teamwork, fitness, and the typical routine in a racing yard. You’ll gain qualifications and get the confidence to step straight into an exciting industry with huge opportunities.

Whether you dream of working behind the scenes or building a long-term career with horses, the non-rider programme can take you just as far 💜

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/NHCFoundationCourse

🎉 We are delighted to announce that this week's Functional Skills Award has been presented to...

✨ Freya Gadd ✨

This accolade recognises a Foundation Course learner who has shown outstanding dedication and perseverance in developing their English and/or Maths skills.

🗣 "𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘺𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 1 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘊𝘚𝘌 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩. 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭!" - Functional Skills Team

Well done Freya 👏

🏇 Thinking about a career as a Racing Groom? There are more benefits and support available than you may think...

If you are employed as a Racing Groom for a licensed Racehorse Trainer, you will be protected by the agreements in place under the Trainer’s Licence issued by the British Horseracing Authority, with many through the National Association of Racing Staff, NARS.

As a Racing Groom, you can benefit from:

💷 Competitive pay – with minimum rates of pay based on your age, qualifications and experience, plus overtime paid at time and a half.

👤 Paid leave – 30 days including public holidays in your first year, with your entitlement increasing with length of service.

🏡 Subsidised accommodation – where accommodation is provided by your employer, the NMW accommodation offset applies.

✈️ Opportunities to travel – horseracing is an international sport, giving you the chance to travel while being paid for your time away from the yard.

💰 Pool money & awards – staff can receive a share of prize money when horses from their yard win, while Best Turned-Out awards can also provide cash prizes.

🩹 Support if things go wrong – the Racing Industry Accident Benefit Scheme provides financial support following qualifying accidents and injuries.

💚 Health and wellbeing support – from free access to Racing’s Occupational Health Service to the ongoing support provided by Racing Welfare.

🤝 A voice at work – the National Association of Racing Staff provides confidential advice, support and guidance.

👨‍👩‍👧 Support beyond the yard – Racing Home helps racing employees balance working in the industry with family life and caring responsibilities.

And perhaps one of the biggest benefits? The skills and experience you gain can open doors to a whole range of careers within the horseracing industry.

Find out more about pay, benefits and support for Racing Grooms on our website https://www.thenhc.co.uk/racing-groom-pay-benefits-and-support/