Mary-Jo Jackson is twenty-three years old and from Middlesbrough. A life-long love of horses meant she became a racing fan at a young age—her earliest memories are cheering on Comply Or Die in the 2008 Grand National, and watching Sea The Stars complete his perfect season in the Arc.
Since then, Mary has been an avid follower of racing worldwide. Having consumed racing media throughout her life, she credits its contributors with helping facilitate her wider love of literature and storytelling. She graduated with an English Literature degree from the University of York. Mary’s favourite meeting to attend is the Ebor Festival.
Outside of racing, she is a keen portrait artist, largely focusing on racehorses of course! She applied for the Racing Media Academy as it would give her the chance to intertwine her passion for racing with skills developed during her degree. She sees the academy as an invaluable opportunity for someone from a completely non-racing background.
Mary cannot wait to gain insight into the intricacies and nuances of racing media production from its dedicated professionals. She hopes to let her creativity and passion shine through while exploring what a career in racing media would look like. Above all, she is chasing individual growth and specialist knowledge which will serve her in future endeavours.
he Racing Media Academy is a sure-fire way to get the ball rolling on your career in horse racing. I took the chance and applied, and as a result experienced the most enriching week with fellow cadets before a dream internship at the Racing Post.
The week-long course is action packed –the chance to meet and receive one-to-one feedback from so many of racing’s luminaries is one that still blows my mind.
The whole group supported and championed each other and each of us know we’ll always have the RMA in common and have each other’s backs.
My internship at the Racing Post still leaves me in awe, having grown up reading it and being shaped as a writer by some of their journalists.
The team was so good to me, gave constant encouragement in my ability and were always there to help when needed. That, in addition to being trusted for print so early on, was both humbling and confidence-boosting. I left having made so much growth as a journalist, with a new sense of confidence and so many incredible contacts in the industry.
The internship solidified my desire to work in racing and gave me opportunities which fulfilled dreams I’d had since childhood.
I couldn’t recommend the RMA enough. It has changed my life and quite literally allowedme to make my dreams reality.
I didn’t expect to be chosen, but when I was, I instantly felt that racing had a place for me. It has a place for you as well –so just go for it!
