The Racing Life of Hetta Harris

There’s busy and then there’s Hetta Harris busy!

As well as her role as the Director of Education at the British Racing School in Newmarket, she has a hectic family life alongside husband Peter Harris (‘who has nothing to do with racing!’ she laughs) and teenage twins Georgia and Victoria.

Peter and Hetta Harris with their daughters

The Harris family live in Swindon, Wiltshire with their labrador called Black Bear, Jack Russell called Ren, George the cat and Merlot the rabbit. Hetta divides her time between the BRS, commuting from Swindon for half the week.

A young Hetta on her Thelwell pony

Looking back, Hetta’s family connections to racing were tenuous. ‘My Great Aunt Romy Paterson owned point-to-pointers and National Hunt horses,’ she says. ‘and Father rode in a couple of amateur flat races in Perth, Australia in the ‘70s.’  Yet, horses were in her blood and for over twenty-five years, racing has been a huge part of Hetta's life, working with top handlers worldwide. ‘I had two-year stint in Australia working for Lindsay Park in Euroa, Victoria and Adelaide and a five-year stint in America in Maryland, Kentucky, Florida and Arkansas,’ she speaks animatedly about her globetrotting. ‘I have taken horses racing to Dubai on several occasions with runners from the UK and USA.’

Hearing about Hetta’s fabulous career, that spanned the globe, peaking and troughing as life is inclined to do, is truly inspirational.

Did you have a horsey childhood? When growing up in Fakenham, Norfolk, both my parents rode and so I had no choice as they wanted me to go hunting with them. I was a very nervous rider until about the age of 12 when the most magic of ponies took charge across country and I had no choice but to hold on and steer!

Which trainers have you worked for and in which roles?

Henrietta Knight, Mary Hambro and pupil assistant for Richard Phillips

I started out at Hen Knight’s after my A-Levels. Growing up, ‘Hen’ was my absolute idol and it was the perfect start to my career as I had my event horse with me, stabled at Hen’s Mother’s house down the road. Mazza and I were competing at advanced level and gunning for the Young Rider Team. We finished fifth in the Young

Hetta leading up her first winner, Delayed, for Hen Knight with Jim Culloty on board 

Rider National Champs at Bramham when I was employed by Hen. I then had my first ride in a point-to-point that same year and finished third in the Hunt Members’ race.

After Hen, I worked for the Australian event rider Matt Ryan who was training me at the time and had a winter trying to brush up my dressage skills with Ferdi Eliburg. After a season of working for an event rider, I realised the money was in racing so took my horse with me to Mary Hambro’s operation at the Cotswold Stud. There, I could still combine eventing with racing. Richard Phillips’ yard looked fun (he was renting stables from Mary at the time) and when my mare retired at our second Bramham horse trials, I decided to go full time into racing and work for him. After a season, my parents thought I was having too much fun, should go travelling, and make use of my Australian nationality.

Rae Guest – Assistant

In Australia, Tony McEnvoy/Lindsay Park – work rider, stud hand, groom.

In the USA, Michael Dickinson, Dale Romans and Assistant to Kellyn Gorder

Long story short: I worked two years in Australia for Lindsay Park on the stud side and breaking in/pre-training. I applied for the Godolphin Flying Start programme whilst

out there but was unsuccessful as I knew nothing about pedigrees – I just worked with the horse in front of me. So, I embarked on my own programme, came back to the UK, became assistant to Rae Guest and applied for the Alex Scott Scholarhip. With the money, I funded a visa and flights to America to work for Michael Dickinson. Before leaving, I did a sales season for David Redvers at Tweenhills to brush up on my pedigree knowledge.

Olly Stevens – Trainer’s wife and Assistant

Five years later and I did stints working as Assistant Trainer to Michael, Dale Romans and Kellyn Gorder in the USA, Olly (Stevens, my then husband and fellow Assistant Trainer) and I returned to the UK with a wealth of experience and twin daughters on the way.

America had taught me so much in a short space of time and most winters, I had taken strings of horses to Florida and Arkansas, taking charge of training, staff, entries, jockey bookings etc. Galloping on the track with two hundred-plus horses either makes you or breaks you as a rider. David Redvers heard we were returning home and offered us the opportunity to start training from Robins Farm in Surrey for Sheikh Fahad and Qatar Racing. We had met Sheikh Fahad previously at the sales in Keeneland, so with six-month-old twin daughters we moved in and set up a brand-new training operation.

Within the year, we had won the Windsor Castle stakes at Royal Ascot. It was the fairytale or the golden ticket. We followed the win with Lightning Thunder finishing second in the English and Irish 1000 Guineas and Peace And War winning a Grade 1 back in the States at Keeneland, as well as Green Door winning the Group 2 Flying Childers. After a few years, Olly decided training was not for him, David offered me the chance to take over the licence but it just wasn’t the right time with four-year-old daughters depending on me. The marriage ended and I set up a pre-training business, breaking-in horses for a living over a seven-year period. Not sure if that was the right decision after all?!

Have you been a jockey? I had a very brief stint point-to-pointing – no winners!

Favourite racehorses: Danzon was an incredible mare who captured my heart in Kentucky. She was trained by Kellyn Gorder and I rode her everyday – she was a bear. She won on Oaks day at Churchill with Johnny V in the plate. My parents were over and we are all in the win picture. I lost touch with her after she was claimed. I have never forgiven myself and hope she ended up in a good place.

Favourite racecourse: Ascot – when you win a Royal Ascot race (Extortionist 2013 Windsor Castle) nothing will ever compare. I was lucky to ride a horse of Eve Johnson-Houghton’s there in a charity race and finished 4^th. Eve was livid I didn’t win.

Favourite meeting: Royal Ascot (see above) but Cheltenham will always be special as National Hunt racing was my first love. At school, I watched it during lunchtimes and when Hen sent me there to plait up her runners (is that even a thing?), all my Christmases came at once. Lord Noelie and Edredon Bleu won that year.

Describe your role at the BRS: As Director of Education at the British Racing School, I oversee the foundation courses at the school and help the students find work placements on completion of the course. The role works very closely with the Head of Coaching, Richard Perham. There are many different moving parts at the BRS, whether it is government funding, changes to the apprenticeship, functional skill requirements for individual students, safeguarding etc. Everyday throws a different challenge at you.

What do you love about this role? The team at the BRS are exceptional and everyone is passionate about helping the students during their time with us. To see the students succeed in the workplace and grow and mature is very rewarding. Racing gives you such great life skills, whether you are in it for a few years or decades.

Worst aspect to this role: Ofsted inspections. I haven’t been part of one yet but I am already dreading it. This was never part of my life plan!

In your opinion, why did the staffing crisis in racing occur? The industry has grown in size quicker than the staff could be developed. It is a young person’s game with the early starts, long days and a high level of fitness required. The generations coming through are not all looking for this way of life. If you have a passion for it, you will make it your lifestyle, and live and breathe it. Then comes the point when your passion doesn’t pay for the house, the cars, the children…and you have to make a decision. Some are lucky and it does pay or you find a way, but we do haemorrhage staff with years of experience in horse-facing roles.

And is it being resolved? If you are talking numbers coming into vacant roles, the industry is making a great effort in engaging with cohorts of young people who might not have had the chance to get into horse racing. We get to see this every day at the BRS with young people who have never had a chance to ride a horse before, start on a foundation course and gain employment with a trainer. However, it is the horsemanship skills, that you pick up from years of experience, you can’t teach overnight. That is what we are lacking in the industry and the biggest challenge to resolve. How can we keep experienced staff from leaving? The obvious answer is money and work/life balance.

How do you juggle working in racing and having a family? It is probably harder now as I no longer work from home full time but spend three days of the working week in Newmarket. Home is ten mins from the M4 junction at Swindon so an alarm at 4:00am on a Monday morning to drive to work means I won’t see the girls or Pete until Wednesday night. Facetime calls are a lifeline, but usually to mediate the latest argument between the darling daughters.

Working from home on Thursday/Friday gives me a chance to catch up with the family, then the girls are off to their Dad’s every other Friday evening for the weekend in Bristol. When they are home at the weekends, we are joined by Pete’s two daughters so we have a house full of teenage girls. Life is not boring! I have learnt family life is a juggle, whether you are full time in a yard or office based. Working for myself had benefits with flexibility but the BRS are very understanding as there are many of us in the same boat fitting work around school runs etc. And, I get most weekends off feeding and mucking out horses, unless I am working at the BRS.

 At Bramham CCI*** in 2001, 'I did do dressage once!' Hetta at Bramham 2003 and 'pointing on Gigi Beach at Larkhill

Hopes for the future: After winning the Euromillions, I plan on a surprise spending spree at Tattersalls or Goffs, buying another Royal Ascot winner. It will have to be trained by Eve Johnson-Houghton if we want another Windsor Castle winner. Her record is remarkable. I won’t stop working though.

Favourite meal: One I haven’t had to cook.

Favourite drink: I had a Paloma the other day and it really hit the spot.

Favourite holiday destination: We had an incredible family holiday in Corfu this summer. I would re-live that all over again in a heartbeat. This time on a yacht bought with the Euromillions winnings.

Favourite film: 8 Seconds. I nearly went to bull riding school in Australia and was close to heading out West in America. I still have the full leather chaps.

Other hobbies/interests: Horses took over my life and I am very grateful but as a result I never took up any ‘hobbies’. I love running but that is more out of necessity than anything. My girls are really into surfing and play for the local football team. They don’t ride but I am grateful they have found a passion to focus on. It’s what gives you a purpose to build your life on.

With Melbourne Cup runner Hugs Dancer at Lindsay Park, Hetta and her crew at Dale Roman's farm in Kentucky and on Gigi Beach upsides prolific winning 'pointer Ballisteros at the Heythrop