The Course
The Racing Media Academy starts with an intensive week at the British Racing School in Newmarket. Here you will get great insight into the media and learn skills all delivered by some of the best people in their field.
There will be presentations and interactive learning sessions from the greatest in racing.
These are some of the highlights of 2023:
- Alice Plunkett – the reality of working in racing media
- Alex Hammond – preparing for when live tv goes wrong!
- Rupert Bell – radio broadcasting and sound
- Rishi Persad – D&I and how racing broadcasting can open doors
- Lydia Hislop and Lee Mottershead – theory and practical sessions on writing and presenting
- Equine Productions and JockeyCam teaching you camera operation and production
- Rod Street talking through his experiences as the head of Great British Racing
The week drew to an end with a day at Sandown Park for the Bet365 Gold Cup – the grand finale to the jump racing calendar where our cadets witnessed the Champion Jump Jockey and Trainer being crowned, and saw first-hand an access all areas to racing’s broadcasting in action. After an evening stay in London, they then went on to watch Luck on Sunday being broadcast live from the Racing TV studios in Ealing.
We aim to show you a variety of ways to access future careers within the media as well as teach you about the horse racing industry, so don’t worry if you don’t know anything this is the place to start!
Read on for the course content for 2024.
Itinerary
Sunday 21st April 2024
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
11:00 - 12:00
Check in to BRS
Cath Goff
Course Facilitator BRS
12:30 - 13:00
Lunch and Housekeeping
Lee Moulson/Cath Goff
13:00 - 14:30
Horse writers and press awards (HWPA)
James Stevens
14:30-15:30
RMA Alumni
Lewis Knowles and Samantha Cunnigham
15:30 - 16:00
Tea/coffee in Theatre
16:00 - 17:00
Racings Reach with Media
Vikki Bravington
18:00 - 19:00
Dinner
Monday 22nd April 2024
Digital Media Day
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
08:00 - 08:30
Breakfast
08:30 - 09:30
The Racing Pathway
Josh Apiafi
Racing Media Academy
09:30 - 11:00
Social Media
Frankie Foster
11:00 - 11:15
Tea/Coffee Break
11:30
Depart for National Stud
13:15
Return to BRS
13:15 - 14:00
Lunch
14:00 - 16:00
Podcasts and Presenting
Nick Luck
16:00 - 16:15
Tea/Coffee Break
16:15-18:00
The Promotion of Racing and Welfare Comms
Georgina Dingle and Gabi Whitfield
18:15 - 18:45
Dinner
19:00 - 20:00
Photography in Racing
Dan Abraham
Tuesday 23rd April 2024
Raceday Media
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
08:00 - 08:30
Breakfast
09:00 - 11:00
Production
RTV/TBC
11:00 - 11:15
Tea/Coffee Break
11:15 - 12:45
Media & Crisis Management
Alex Hammond
12:45 - 13:45
Lunch
13:45 - 15:30
Race Commentary
Mike Cattermole
15:30 - 15:45
Tea/Coffee Break
15:45 - 17:00
Conducting Interviews/Broadcast Radio
Rupert Bell
17:00 - 18:00
Dinner
18:00 - 19:00
Virtual Reality Session
Nic and Becca Bentley
Wednesday 24th April 2024
Producing & Camera Day
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
08:00 - 08:30
Breakfast
09:00 - 10:30
JockeyCam
– Horses 9am, prompt return to watch footage
Joe Foley-Corah
JockeyCam
10:30 - 10:45
Tea/Coffee Break
10:45 - 11:45
Camera Work Session 2
Presenting and telling story on camera
Dave James
Equine Productions
12:00 - 12:45
Lunch
12:45 - 14:00
Creating a film around BRS
14:30-16:30
Film review
Dave James
Equine Productions
16:30-16:45
Tea/Coffee Break
17:00-17:45
Camera Work Session 3
How to be Directed
Dave James
Equine Productions
18:00 - 18:30
Dinner
18:30 - 19:30
Camera Work –
Reviewing your work and producing for
distribution
Dave James
Equine Productions
Thursday 25th April 2024
Journalism & Presenting Day
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
08:00 - 08:30
Breakfast
09:00 - 11:00
Grabbing your readers attention
Lydia Hislop
Journalist & Broadcaster
Lee Mottershed
Racing Post
11:00-11:15
Tea/Coffee Break
11:15 - 12:45
Contributing to the Debate
Lydia Hislop
Journalist & Broadcaster
Lee Mottershed
Racing Post
12:45 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 15:30
Interviewing on Camera
Lydia Hislop
Journalist & Broadcaster
Lee Mottershed
Racing Post
15:15 - 15:30
Tea/Coffee Break
15:30 - 17:00
Writing a Report
Lydia Hislop
Journalist & Broadcaster
Lee Mottershead
Racing Post
17:00 - 17:30
Dinner
17:30 - 19:00
Mock Raceday Brief/RaceTech Practic
Lee Moulson/Jared Hussain-Shah
Friday 26th April 2024
Skills and D & I
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
08:00 - 08:30
Breakfast
08:30 - 12:00
Mock Raceday (putting your skills to test)
Lee Moulson
RMA
12:00 - 13:00
Lunch
13:30
Depart for London
16:00 - 18:00
RTV Studios
TBC
19:00
Checkin to Apartments and Ready Steady Cook
Saturday 27th April 2024
Raceday Live
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
08:30 - 09:30
Breakfast
09:30
Depart for Sandown
10.30 – 16.00
Behind the Scenes & Hospitality Sandown
Races
The Jockey Club
18:00
Freetime
Sunday 28th April 2024
Time
Activity
Speaker/Organiser
7.30 - 11.30
RMA live at Sky studios, Isleworth
Josh Apiafi/Rob Dakin
11:30
Depart from Course