The Stable
Dena Merson
Founder of Simply Racing, has extensive experience in coaching and mentoring in the racing industry working with CEOs and Boards, as well as with executives across the sport. She devised and developed the Women In Racing mentoring programme and runs courses for senior and aspiring managers. A former Managing Director at Credit Suisse, Dena grew a breeding and bloodstock business before starting her own executive coaching business working in the City and with the military. She sat on the ROA Executive and Council, various racing committees and was on the Board of Thoroughbred Owner and Breeder. Dena blends a keen understanding of horseracing politics with business expertise and specialisation in leadership.
Michael Armstrong
Michael runs a Digital Marketing and Social Media Management Company called Parade Ring Marketing. Following his graduation from University, he took a place on the highly regarded British Horseracing Graduate Development Programme where he worked for the British Horseracing Authority. Following this placement, he moved into Racecourse Marketing and Sponsorship where he gained experience in managing the delivery of brand sponsorship contracts. Today, he works directly with and on behalf of businesses and public services in order to help develop, improve, maintain and manage their marketing, communications and public relations.
Sarah McIntyre
Sarah is a caring and experienced Counsellor and Psychotherapist. She is a compassionate listener, with an uncanny ability to simplify issues and make you feel valued. She helps clients find solutions to seemingly complicated personal or business problems by giving them the time and space to talk things through. Her background is academic, starting her career as both a student and lecturer at Cambridge University before working in different industries from corporate recruitment to education. She now works with individuals and families at restoring well-being and confidence. She is eminently practical and her aim is to give people the tools to find a more positive outlook, feel better about life and enable them to become more optimistic about the future.
Dana Mellor
As a fully accredited coach and member of the Association for Coaching, Dana is involved with The Racing Home project to support parents in the racing industry. Previously she’s led the Lycetts Trainers Judges Panel, mentored female apprentice jockeys, worked as part of the Injured Jockeys Fund liaison team and supported the National Trainers Federation during the pandemic. Dana started her career as the first ever law graduate to become a successful professional jockey. She rode winners in 6 different countries in the early days of female participation in the sport. Dana represented the UK in Japan riding a winner in Tokyo as part of the International Female Jockeys Challenge. Lessons taken from competing at this level, inspired her to implement historic and cultural change within the racing industry in the UK. By establishing JETS -The Jockeys Employment & Training Scheme, an ambition for comprehensive support for Jockeys embarking on short term, often precarious careers gradually became the norm. Away from racing Dana’s coaching practice continues around issues fundamental to leadership & management such as raising levels of confidence, clarity and focus.
Gemma Ospedale
Gemma is a specialist employment partner with RWK Goodman with over 20 years’ experience of employment law. Before becoming a solicitor, Gemma worked in the racing/bloodstock industry, on stud farms, as a student at the National Stud, and nearly 6 years with Weatherbys before retraining to become a successful City solicitor. Whilst at Weatherbys, Gemma became the “face of Weatherby’” when attending all the sales at Newmarket and Doncaster representing the organisation. She has an in-depth knowledge of the industry and personnel. Gemma combines her past and current careers in advising those in the racing and bloodstock industries on all aspects of employment law and has been an integral part of the team engaged in producing the Racing Home website portal providing information on all things family friendly for professionals and staff in the racing and bloodstock industries. She provides comprehensible and pragmatic advice to those instructing her on how best to achieve their desired results, managing risk and commerciality.
Naomi Mellor
Dr Kate Clayton-Hathway
Dr Kate Clayton-Hathway, is an Associate Researcher with the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice at Oxford Brookes Business School. She led both the 2017 diversity project for the horseracing industry and the 2020 Racing Home study. Kate’s research specialism is in gender equality within organisational structures, and she is particularly interested in promoting progressive institutional change. She is also an activist, and supports a women’s educational charity in Oxfordshire.
Anna Waters
During a successful six year career in horse racing, working up from stable girl, to apprentice jockey to assistant trainer, across six different countries, Anna became fascinated watching how often the most naturally talented riders would crumble when put under the pressure of a race environment, whilst other riders seemed to perform at their best under pressure. This insight led Anna to investigate the connection between what happens in our minds and how we perform. With a strong academic background, including an MSc and PhD in applied sport psychology, Anna spent seven years working alongside Professor Steve Peters sharing The Chimp Model ideologies. Whilst there Anna was supervised by Steve and gained understanding of how the mind works from a neuroscientific perspective. This combined with her sport psychology backgrounds forms foundations to her work. Now, with over 20 years of expertise in performance psychology, Anna has been fortunate to work with many prestigious organisations including: the British Olympic Association, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, UK Athletics, the British Equestrian Federation, the GB Canoe Team, National Television Companies, National Ballet Companies and Music Conservatoires.