The Racing Life of Lou Allen

No one goes that extra mile more than Louisa ‘Lou’ Allen, head girl to trainer Jim Boyle. She leaves nothing to chance when caring for the horses and humans around her.

‘I love the quirky horses, which are just like myself,’ she laughs. Under her guidance, the yard has grown in size and success.

Yet, Lou, highlights the importance of also looking after her colleagues. ‘We do dinners for the younger members of staff here – as well as Christmas dinner and summer barbeques – I am a bit of a mumsy.’ To corroborate her words, as we chatted, Lou prepared a huge cottage pie for the yard supper she was holding that evening. She’s one to rally the troops – hers and those from fellow Epsom yards – and has become a source of support for all.

In January 2023, Lou started training as a rider coach through the Racing Staff Development Program (RSDP), becoming a much-loved source of tuition in her yard, around Epsom and with pony racers. Via her sunny disposition and sheer enthusiasm, Lou shares her experience and love for racing. She is also a coaching ambassador, the representative for the union National Association of Racing Staff in the Epsom area and a mental health first aider. 

Over the years, Lou has been recognised for all she gives to racing. In 2023, She won the Dedication to Racing Award at the Epsom Owners’ and Trainers’ Awards and she was also awarded RSDP’s 2024 Coach of the Year. In ’08 and ‘25, she reached the top ten finalists in the Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Awards and in ’26, won the Leadership Award at a star-studded ceremony at Ascot racecourse. ‘Without the support of Sam Trainor and the team at RSDP, I wouldn’t have grown as much as I have. I’ve changed my outlook and therefore have grown the most amazing team at Jim Boyle Racing,’ said Lou, still in a haze of happy disbelief. ‘I am truly humbled and still in shock. Plus, I got to meet Frankie Foster, who was on Love Island. He told me to watch his striptease. I actually hadn’t a clue who he was but he was very easy on the eye!’

Having grown up around Surrey, in Purley and Kingswood, Lou still lives in the same county, right on the yard at South Hatch Stables with partner Richard Farmer, 48, who’s Head of Travelling to Jim Boyle and a Bengel cat called Suki. ‘She’s a little heartbeat in our house. I love her – she was a rescue cat on end of life and, three years later, is still going strong.’ Even the cat, like many others, has thrived off Louisa Allen’s positivity.

Did you have a horsey childhood? My mum rode but ended up on top of a car bonnet so she stopped riding, realising it wasn’t for her anymore. So, horses were obviously ingrained in us. My older sister Shelly was allowed to ride first but I wasn’t allowed until I was ten. By nine, I was desperate to start learning and when I did, I was obsessed!

How did you get into racing? My sister got into racing first and went to work for Roger Curtis. I followed suit, going in with her at weekends and any free time in the holidays.

My parents became racehorse owners as well, proving that racing was in the blood and my whole family found it addictive.

What trainers have you worked for? When I left school, my first job was with Ron Smythe as a rider-groom. Then, I worked for Simon Dow as assistant travelling. I also worked for Roger Ingram, Brook Saunders, Roland O’Sullivan and Jim Boyle since 2003. When I was at Roland O’Sullivan’s, I worked with Jim’s now-wife and when Ron retired (I had already match-made Jim and Pippa, who subsequently married and had kids) and she recommended to Jim that I went there. I walked straight into the Head Girl’s position when Jim had been training half a season and only had seven in training.

We grew to having about fifty in, not having enough stables and having to rotate them on their holidays. Recently, the numbers have dwindled slightly but instead of quantity, the quality has remained.

When I came to work for Jim, I brought two jumpers. At that point, Jim hadn’t trained any jumpers but he had his first jump winner with one of them, Cedar Master, and has done nothing but improve with the jumpers.

What kind of boss is Jim Boyle? Jim is great to work with and is so knowledgeable. He’s a vet on the side, which has been fundamental to my learning. He’s very hands-on, so good at what he does and is a great boss.

Favourite racehorses: My all-time favourite was Newnham. He came from the sales with warnings about box walking. The first morning, he was fine in his box and went on the walker fine but then, when he went back in his box, he went crazy. So, we cut a hole in the wall so he could speak to his neighbour. He was mentioned in Gary Witherford’s book If Horses Could Talk about the trickiest horses he’d worked with.

I used to ride Newnham out and he was just a character, which I love. He needed kind handling and looking after. One day at Wolverhampton, we clicked. He wasn’t one I could just throw in the box and go to the canteen so I’d always clip a rope on his headcollar and sit down with him. That day, he came and stood by me. It sounds weird but from that that day forwards, we joined up.

Newnham was due to run in the Cesarewitch but he did a tendon just before – I was devastated for him. He meant a lot to me, particularly being tricky and far from easy. My friend Katie gave him a great life for eighteen years, until he passed away last year.

Favourite racecourse: I always loved Salisbury because I’ve led up a lot of winners there. But my favourite is Market Rasen; there’s just something about its vibe, and it’s very homely. I also love Uttoxeter. Ironically, they’re both jump tracks.

Favourite canteen: Salisbury. The ladies are amazing and the lunches are brilliant. For me, it’s not about being posh, just about good quality food and the people serving it at Salisbury are so nice.

How are young jockeys representing the sport nowadays? I met Jack Doughty at Lingfield before he had his license and there was something about him. As I was chatting to him, I made a mental note to look out for him – and look what he did last season.

And Billy Loughnane – what a hardworking lad. Even after all his winners, he’s so grounded and down to earth – the other day, he was leading a horse round at the races and would’ve carried on doing so if I hadn’t said I’d lead it up as a spare.

Best day in racing so far: In my long career, it was a day last year at Newbury with Into The Sky. Riding him out, I knew I’d sat on something special. He went off at 80-1 and watching him scoot clear of the field, I was nearly in tears. He’s now three and is again my horse of the year and also won best horse in Epsom in 2025.

Describe your role: I run the yard, making sure the horses are sound and well cared for, look after the veterinary side, update the vet book and feed three times a day.  At the moment, it’s obviously wintertime so there are less horses here but later in the year, I invariably ride out four.

I also aim to get my staff to be the best they can be, which is a huge part of my role, and guide them by doing lots of appraisals to make sure they continue on their path – so they are not missing out on a chance to do, say, bandages. I will get them to help me along the way.

What do you love about being head girl? On my journey, I have learnt so much about myself, especially in the past five years as I have gone through the coaching qualifications. My biggest pleasure is seeing other people succeed and hit their own goals. I am of an age now that it doesn’t matter about me as such, just that my staff keep improving and I also absolutely love seeing the horses going out looking really well.

How do you keep up morale in the yard? We have fun competitions – Best Christmas Jumper, who falls off the most and the winner of the most best-turned-out awards, which I actually won this year, having won nineteen in total. I love turning the horses out, not even for the best-turned-out but for the owners. I pride myself in what I do and have the horses looking their best – I could never leave the racecourse stables if a horse had shavings stuck to its feet. It’s the little things – I’m not OCD but I’m a tad OCD!

What do you dislike about your job? On my day off, I still wake up at the same time – I’m on auto awake – so, sometimes, I wish I could lie in. If that’s my worst bit then I’m definitely winning, aren’t I? 

What do you enjoy about working in Epsom? I love Epsom and I have always been here. Everyone always says that I’m the Mum of Epsom. When I first started here, all the yards were up against each other but we’re a close-knit community now. I do everything I can to get all the yards talking and getting them together. Even Katie Ferguson from Racing Welfare will ask me to put the word out about their events. Katie has worked tirelessly to support our southern area; she’s been amazing.

I’ve got that mentoring vibe that if there’s a problem in another yard, they come to me for a chat. If I see anyone struggling, I’ll always help.

How did you get into the rider coaching? I’d got a bit older and thought, what could I do now? So, through the Racing Staff Development Program, I did the Level 1 and the Level 2 but did struggle with the course work. Sam Trainor, who is a huge part of the RSDP, helped me out so much; I cannot even describe how much. Then, I did the Level 3.

Through it, I found a whole new niche – I may have come to a point when I sought a new career but rider coaching changed my whole outlook. It also changed the way I managed people and dealt with my staff, even down to the way I talk to them.

They have online lectures, like one on bitting, that have continued my learning, including giving me new ideas. On the yard, I have worked with chiropractor Marissa Pinnock for years and there was a Zoom lecture by the amazing Lee Clarke, which was so relatable and inciteful.

Lou being the RSDP’s 2024 Coach of the Year

How has the coaching helped you personally? I have loved my journey, which I feel I am still on. My whole demeaner has changed. In the old days, I would’ve gone a bit mad but now I recognise other people see things differently.  Before, I wanted everything to be done a certain way and now, having recognised I am on the spectrum, I have an understanding of other ideas and values. And people’s different conceptions to life.

How do you create a sense of community in the yard and also in Epsom? I don’t ever want to think someone is being left out. At sixteen, Maisey is our youngest staff member and she became a bit homesick so I held big dinner to make her feel more at home. We do group hugs – we are such a strong team.

If we ever go out to the local pub, which is in walking distance, we send feelers out to other yards – this is especially important in the wintertime when less is happening. We also have a friend Henry, aged eighty-six, who sits by the side of the gallops and watches us ride past – so we’ve engaged with him and also with the local village.

Dinners, outings, barbecues, birthdays are just a few of the excuses Lou uses to bring her team together

Over the years, how has racing changed for the better? We now understand mental health whereas it was never addressed before. Plus, I’ve not seen a lad held up against a wall like in times gone by.

How has racing changed for the worst? I used to love doing up my horses at night. In the old days, we’d cloth them so they’d be clean for when the trainer ran a hand over them to check you’d brushed them properly.  In the mornings, a maximum of four lots allows the horses to have the care that Jim wants them to have. For me, in this yard, the horses are well looked after but I can see in other yards, that it isn’t always like that. We never work round – every lad has their own horses, which they do even when other staff are on their afternoons off. Our retention of staff is great – no one leaves, only when they want to leave racing. In fact, they don’t even want to go home at lunchtime – I am always saying, ‘You can go home now,’ and they still hover.

Working round every night means staff aren’t going to get that attachment with the horses and they don’t know them as well.

We must be doing something right. By doing their set horses every day, the lads are passionate about them and always want to do them; they have a bond. Everyone buys apples and carrots. It’s harder work for me as I have more lists to do and I have to dish out spares but I’d rather do it, because my staff are happy.  

Best racing celebration: As long as the horses go out and run well, even in a seller or claimer, that is worth celebrating and I’m over the moon. If a horse runs to the best of their level, then it’s a party.

Sum up what you love about racing: The people, the banter, the love of the horses, the pure enjoyment, the pure love of it. Just everything.

Winning the Leadership Award at this year's Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Awards

Favourite meal: Bangers, mash and baked beans.

Favourite drink: A mojito or prosecco.

Favourite holiday destination: Mexico has my heart. We’ve been there five times and I love it.

Favourite book: The Rhino Crash by Nick Newman, who used to work in racing. It’s the most informative book and I’ve never related to any other book more, especially about being on the spectrum side of things. I don’t usually read books twice but I will read this one again.

Favourite music: Bands like The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons, and Ed Sheeran.

Favourite TV program: Anything that is true life, the opposite to sci-fi. Money Heist and Ozark were brilliant.

Other hobbies/interests: I used to have an ex-racehorse, Tothevictor, but I lost him a year ago. Recently, a friend Rachel got one of our ex-racehorses in Marlay Park so I’m going to help her with his retraining. That’ll be my new hobby.

Hopes and dreams for the future: To stay alive. To continue being happy – I’m really content with my life so I want to keep doing what I’m doing