IN harness racing, to obtain a licence to drive in trials, races or to train horses, all participants are required to attend the Harness Racing School conducted by PolyTechnic College in-conjunction with Racing Services Tasmania (RST).
The course spans five months and during this time, participants are provided with documentation relevant to the harness racing industry and valuable information is provided from Liz Curtis (PolyTechnic) and RST Stewards to enable participants to be prepared when they are fully licenced and enter the ‘real’ racing world.
Guest speakers throughout the year have included Ricky Duggan and Barrie Rattray who attend the sessions to advise of experiences they have had in the industry and to offer expert and informative opinions.
Wendy Kennedy, Corporate Relations and Media Manager at Tasracing, was invited to attend the class session on Tuesday night (27 July) to provide an overview on media related areas.
Wendy has a long history in racing, herself being a successful driver and trainer and comes from the very well known Plunkett family.
Wendy provided an overview of media, television and newspaper and how racing is portrayed.
The class was advised how journalists will question participants to receive the answer ‘they’ require which may not necessarily be the correct answer, how body language when being interviewed is very important and general guidelines on interview techniques was discussed.
It was also noted how drivers and trainers can use the media to profile their image which will enhance personal careers in racing.
Each student participated in an interview situation that was filmed as a “live recording” and consisted of several questions being asked by the interviewer (Wendy) to each class member. These interviews were reviewed and evaluated.
This was invaluable experience for all students involved as they will inevitably come in contact with journalists and TV cameras at some stage during their racing career.
Media training is available to all industry participants by contacting Tasracing.