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’s recently been involved with The Racing Home project to support parents in the racing industry. Previously she’s mentored female apprentice jockeys, worked as part of the Injured Jockeys Fund liaison team, supported the National Trainers Federation during the pandemic and led the Lycetts Team Champion Judging Panel. 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 withing 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 to develop around issues fundamental to leadership & management such as raising levels of confidence, clarity and focus.
Christine Scholes
A former lawyer, Christine is an experienced and passionate coach, a strategic HR expert and commercial and employment mediator and brings over 25 years’ experience of working with international businesses to help them and their people get the very best out of themselves. Clients say her empathy, a result of an earlier career as an intensive care nurse, creates trust which enables them to achieve remarkable results.
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.