An Interview with Hayley Clements, Racing Secretary to Micky Hammond and Becky Smith

I love all my blogs but occasionally one shines blindingly bright; Hayley Clements certainly shone. She lives life to the fullest as a racing secretary to joint licensees Micky Hammond and Becky Smith but also as a mum and horse owner.

Known as ‘Mrs Middleham’, Hayley is a shining star within the closely knit Yorkshire racing community that sports four pubs, thirteen trainers and sixteen yards. ‘It’s a mini Newmarket,’ she explains, ‘and is the biggest training site in the north.’ Born near Skipton, Hayley moved to Middleham at sixteen to work in racing and has never left, working in her present role for over nine years.

A worthy winner of the 2026 Community Award at the Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, Hayley, 42, humbly explained the reasons why she was a worthy winner: ‘I looked after a 77-yeor-old, who used to work in racing, when she was poorly. I fundraised for Racing Welfare and the Injured Jockeys Fund by putting on quizzes at the local pub, which were really well supported. I ran the Great North Run and a few 10Ks for RW, and held a Park Run in Middleham and a dog show, which were also very well attended. For National Racehorse Week, I organised a grooming and prep for the races demonstration and had the Equicizer out.

  ‘My favourite fundraiser was a Middleham Through the Years quiz. It was great to see the older generation mix with the younger generation, who didn’t really know racing has history that stretches back hundreds of years. There’s so much history here in Middleham, including the castle, and I really enjoyed the research and the insight into all the trainers and horses. A lot of people are tunnel-visioned and only know about their own yard.

‘I’m a member of the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS) and do meetings with members from different yards every three months, discussing improvements and ideas. I type it up and report back.

‘I went into the local primary school with the Equicizer and taught them about what’s on the doorstep. I don’t think many of the children see beyond the horses going past, which is the norm to them. They don’t know where they’re going or what they’re doing or why, so I told them a little bit about it all.’

Beyond rallying the troops and getting the people together, Hayley runs Middleham Racing Tours, showing the general public behind the scenes of racing. ‘I take them out for two hours – to see horses on the gallops and into a yard. From my tours, a couple bought a 2-year-old with Karl Burke, and others have gone into racing clubs and syndicates. I’ve also had three people coming into fulltime work in racing, including an Irish guy who did a tour on a Saturday and returned on the Wednesday to work here.

‘The industry needs people to have an insight into it. They go to the races but don’t see the work or the people who do it, which I aim to show. It’s great to go round lots of yards, like Karl Burke’s who is the flagbearer in Middleham, and show people Group 1 horses.’

An accomplished rider, Hayley still rides out and has also competed successfully at Aintree, winning most notably as an ROR on her Knocklong. She also owns another ex-racehorse Goldwyn, a Dartmoor pony called Sid and breaks in a couple of Connemara ponies. Hayley’s partner Mathew Brook is a local builder and she has four children; Sophie, 22, who works for Karl Burke, Noah, 16, Jesse, 9, and Stanley, 4.

Hayley is an amazing person who gives her utmost to the sport she loves and everyone around her. Racing needs a lot more Hayleys.

Did you have a horsey childhood? I had ponies from the age of seven. I competed in working hunter, hunter trials and at local shows – a bit of all sorts.

How did you get into racing? I knew I wanted to work with horses and was originally going down the British Horse Society stages route. I went to a college open day and the Northern Horseracing College was right next door. I thought, ‘Wow, I can do this course in Donny in ten weeks and get an insight to racing’, and that had me hooked.

Trainers worked for: I started off at Mark Johnston as a rider-groom. Then I did a stint at Karl Burke’s and had my amateur license. I also had another little stint with John Weymes. I returned to Mark Johnston Racing as an assistant yard manager and then I was a yard manager.

After having children, I went into a secretarial role at Johnston’s and then headed to Micky’s as racing secretary.

So, you were a jockey? I just rode as an amateur but I wasn’t much of a jockey!

In 2001, at seventeen, with Johnston Racing, I took the opportunity to go out to Dubai with ten horses. We rode the horses on the track whereas, in Middleham, we obviously didn’t do that and I loved riding on the track. When I got back, I really wanted to ride on a track again; I didn’t necessarily want to be a jockey as such.

Last year, I rode in a Graham Lee charity race at Thirsk, which I really enjoyed.

Hayley (red with white stars) walking out for the charity race in aid of Graham Lee

How did you become a racing secretary? I absolutely loved being a yard manager but you have to dedicate your whole life to it. I felt torn – I put everything into the horses, the barn and the team and then I missed out on activities with the kids – something unfortunately had to give.

After my priorities had changed because of having a family, I started out as a trainee at Johnston’s, where I learnt many of the roles of a racing secretary. Then, I learnt the rest myself as I went, like the basics of going round the BHA admin website.

Describe your morning: I live in walking distance to school and to the yard. The first thing I do is get the children up and we walk to school, then I walk down to the yard for 8:45. I check in with everyone, saying hi and making sure everything is OK. I tack up for 9:00, have a quick look at the declarations whilst doing so and ride one lot Then, the computer goes on, I check declarations again, have a chat with Micky, Becky and Gemma about yesterday’s runners and any developments. We discuss any pressing issues straight away and I’ll continue to answer emails and track the decs up to10:00. Before 12:00, we go through all the entries, track entries with Micky and Becky and make entries. I also do the daily staffing, which teams are going racing, transport and anything else on top of that, including emails and booking cars in for MOTs; a bit of everything.

How do you juggle motherhood and working in racing? Despite being a mum, I really wanted to stay in the industry. I have been extremely lucky with my position at Micky’s – the yard is like a family – and I brought up my last two sons bringing them to work. They have been at work from babies in the pram, been toddlers and kids in the office. Some mornings, Micky popped them in the car and took them to watch the horses on the gallops so they’d fall asleep; that gave me an hour or two to get done what I needed to get done. There’s always been other little things that Micky also has always get me go to, like sports day and nativities.

Ultimately, I have stayed in the industry because Micky allowed me to do that, otherwise I would’ve found it too difficult.

Has there ever been instances that you have had to above and beyond your usual tasks? A couple of weeks ago, we had thirty children and five teachers visiting through Racing To School, so I had to think quickly about what I was going to do with them. I split them into three groups – one had a session on the Equicizer with Carrie Ford, one did a full grooming and full race day prep with head girl Ellie and the third one went round the yard doing a quiz to do with the horses’ names. I had rustled the quiz up before they all arrived at 9:15!

Also, I’ve had to sort out rooms for new people and clear some rooms out from top to bottom when others have left.

Sum up why you love your role: I love the team, being involved with the horses and the plans with their racing, my rapport with the owners – just all of it.

Are there any negatives to your role? None, I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Favourite racehorses: Bandari, who I looked after at Johnston’s – he ran in the Epsom Derby and St Leger.

Knocklong. I rode him out in training and I have him in retirement. He’s eighteen now and my ‘favourite child’.

Favourite racecourse: Ripon.

Favourite jockey: Joe Fanning. He’s a lovely, lovely guy.

Sylvester D’Souza, who rode me a lot of winners when I was a yard manger. He had so much determination in a finish; the horses would always find extra for him.

Best day in racing so far: When I won the Community Award at the Godolphin Awards.

How has working in racing changed for the worse? A lot of the younger generation coming through don’t pull their socks up, roll their sleeves up and crack on like in the past.

How has working in racing changed for the better? There’s so much more support out there for jockeys and staff compared to what there used to be, like NARS. Racing Welfare is on our doorstep. Gail Burton-Pye there is fantastic; she’s born and bred in Middleham and is always popping in. She knows everyone and in fact, she was my head girl when I first started in racing.

In your opinion, why did the stable staff crisis begin? To be fair, we are a very lucky yard not to have been affected much by this. We are a proper little family and don’t have a high turnover of staff.

Yet, the hours and working weekends may not be appealing but at the end of the day, if you want to work with livestock then that’s part and parcel of it. I always say that if you want to work in an equestrian discipline, racing is the best one – travel the world, hours and pay are regulated, wages are boosted by best-turned-outs, pool money, owners’ bonuses and free food at the races.

Is there a community feel within Middleham? Yes, definitely. Every year, we have the inter-yard rounders match and try to take home the trophy. We pass each other every morning in the strings and see everyone at the races but it’s great to get together.

Best racing party so far: When Becky and I won the dancing, a lot of the team came to watch and it was a fun celebration.

What are your bosses Micky and Becky like? We all work together and their dynamic works really well. Becky is a fantastic rider and is very hands-on with horses in respect to riding out so she reports back on that side. Micky has a phenomenal memory and is brilliant at finding and planning races.

How did competing in last year’s Racing Come Dancing occur? Becky was meant to be doing it with PJ McDonald but his daughter had got a main part in a theatre show that was on the same night as the dancing. Becky ran up to the office and said she needed a partner. I said ‘Yeah OK, whatever.’ We got straight into it, went to Thirsk every other Tuesday and met the other dancers. It was really good fun. I couldn’t believe it when we won – I was shocked.

How do you fit everything in?! When I run, I go on a morning before school or of an evening, and lunchtimes are for mucking out. My daughter Sophie helps a lot with the horses and I’ll walk her dogs when she’s racing. We are a team.

Favourite meal: Roast dinner.

Favourite drink: Yorkshire Tea.

Favourite snack: Rice cakes.

Favourite holiday destination: I enjoyed Malta – it was lovely.

Favourite book: I love books and I’m a big bookworm. I’ve just enjoyed Dark Horse by Felix Francis.

Favourite music: My favourite band are the Red Rum Club from Liverpool. Becky got me into them and I’ve seen them in Leeds and Liverpool many times as well as all around the world, including three times in America and Paris.  

Other hobbies: I play rugby for the Wensleydale Heifers.