Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Trotter makes a career of his passion for horses

Andrew Harrison
James Trotter, son of well known South African racing personalities Rodney and Jane Trotter, this month started on the prestigious Darley Flying Start programme in Ireland. The two-year Darley Flying Start course is an exclusive international management training programme that specialises in thoroughbred breeding and racing. Recognised by some of the world’s leading universities, including the University College Dublin in Ireland and the University of Kentucky in the United States, the course was founded in 2003 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai. Trotter, a graduate of the University of Cape Town and a qualified Chartered Accountant, is following his passion for horses and horse racing. His mother, Jane, runs the highly regarded thoroughbred spelling and pre-training facility, Ambleway, located just outside of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.This year’s new group of Darley Flying Start trainees arrived at Kildangan Stud on Monday, August 16 and the twelve trainees represent six countries: South Africa, Canada, Ireland, Australia, the UK and the USA.
The group were welcomed by Darley Flying Start and Kildangan Stud management at a lunch in Kildangan House.
To date on the programme the trainees have received induction training and attended IT and communcations modules at the Darley Flying Start training facility at Kildangan Stud.
In addition to a stallion show and tour of Kildangan Stud they visited Darley’s Ragusa, Old Connell and Blackhall Studs.
They will shortly commence their Equine Anatomy and Physiology module at University College Dublin and practical work experience assisting with breaking yearlings at Kildangan.
The group got their first taste of Irish racing at the Galileo Futurity Stakes meeting at the Curragh last Saturday.
Trotter said: “To me this course is the realisation of a lifelong dream to have a career in my passion, the horse racing industry – and what’s more, the best possible point from which to start. It’s cool to be in a place and around people where you know that what you have to say may have some influence, and people are interested and listen.”
Lectures, visits, assignments and practical experience will continue for the three month Irish phase of the programme until the end of October.
During this time the trainees will attend bloodstock sales at Goffs and racing at the Curragh and Leopardstown.
The Darley Flying Start Conference will be their final assignment in Ireland, which is designed to test their presentation and communication skills.
The trainees will then travel to Newmarket to commence the next phase of the course. The two-year course combines a rigorous academic programme with practical horsemanship and global industry networking opportunities that requires those selected to commit fully to becoming future industry leaders.

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