Posted on 31st March 2018
Jack Cross is currently working at Brian Ellison’s yard as a stable hand. He is doing his Level 2 Apprenticeship in Racehorse Care.
We first meet Jack as he is coming in from riding a lot out on the Gallops. Fresh faced and smiling, he walks his horse to the barn to be showered off and chats to us while brushing him down.
“I start my day early, ready to do the first pull-out at 7:00am, we’ll ride out 2 lots before 9:30am and break ‘til 10:00am. After that we’ll ride out whoever is left, which is usually 2-3 lots ready for a finish at 1:00pm.”
Jack is a very smiley young man and has a lot of energy, which is useful in such a physically demanding job. He hasn’t quite decided what he wants to do when he is qualified, but he obviously loves his job judging by his enthusiasm when talking about his position.
“My favourite part of the job is riding out so many different horses. They all have varying personalities and work with you differently which gives you a challenge. Going to the NHC helped with this in particular.”
When we ask about his time at the NHC, Jack explains how it has helped him get to where he is:
“The NHC Foundation Course definitely improved my riding skills a lot, they made me feel comfortable and not scared to push myself. My favourite part of the course was making new friends and meeting people from the industry.”
Brian Ellison also commented on Jack’s riding abilities, telling us that Jack “is a very confident rider and doing well on his Level 2 [in Racehorse Care].”
Before leaving we asked Jack what advice he would give to anyone wanting to start a career in racing:
“I think if you’re really serious about wanting to get into this industry then just go for it and do your best.”
