MY HISTORY • BORN IN MELBOURNE IN 1956 I WAS MOUNTED ON THE STABLE HACK AT 5 DAYS OLD. • “ MACCA ” WAS HIS NICKNAME (MCQUILLAN, HIS RACING NAME), A HORSE THAT MY FATHER TRAINED, WHO WON 12+ RACES AROUND THE STATE OF VICTORIA DURING THE EARLY 1950S. • AT 5 YEARS OLD I ATTENDED MY FIRST COUNTRY RACE MEETING IN 1961 AT PAKENHAM IN THE GIPPSLAND REGION OF EASTERN VICTORIA. MY FATHER TRAINED THE WINNER OF THE PAKENHAM CUP WITH A HORSE CALLED WROUGHTON.
WORK EXPERIENCE • I STARTED WORKING IN MY FATHER’S STABLES WHICH WERE ADJACENT TO THE FAMILY HOME IN THE MELBOURNE SUBURB OF MENTONE AT THE AGE OF 7. • MENTONE HAD BEEN A POPULAR RACECOURSE, 14 MILES SOUTH OF MELBOURNE, UNTIL IT WAS CLOSED DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER MENTONE RE-OPENED BUT ONLY AS A TRAINING TRACK. • BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL, DURING THE WEEK AND WEEKENDS, I WORKED EVERY DAY UNTIL I FINISHED MY HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE (HSC – YEAR 12) AT MENTONE BOY’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
INTRODUCTION TO WORKING FULL TIME. • I HAD GAINED ACCEPTANCE TO DO A LAW DEGREE AT MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY IN 1974 BUT DECLINED THIS TO PURSUE A CAREER WITH HORSES STARTING OFF WORKING FULL-TIME FOR MY FATHER. HE OPERATED OUT OF 9 ALBENCA STREET-THERE WERE 10 TRAINERS ALONE OPERATING OUT OF ALBENCA STREET AT THE TIME BUT THE TRAINER IN NO.4 WALKED HIS HORSES FOR EXERCISE NEARLY EVERY AFTERNOON UP AND DOWN THE ROAD GOING PAST OUR FRONT GATE SEVERAL TIMES HIMSELF WALKING VARIOUS HORSES. • HIS NAME WAS BOB HOYSTED AND NEARLY EVERY DAY HE ASKED WHEN I WAS GOING TO GO AND WORK FOR HIM. IN THE END HE WON OUT AND I JOINED HIM IN 1976. HIS FATHER, FRED WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS IN VICTORIAN RACING HISTORY AND BOB AND HIS BROTHER BON CONTINUED ON AND WERE SUCCESSFUL TRAINERS IN THEIR EARLY TRAINING CAREERS AS WELL BEING BASED IN MELBOURNE. • WE ONLY HAD 5 HORSES IN THE STABLES WHEN I STARTED WITH HIM BUT OF THOSE FIVE, SCAMANDA HAD BEEN THE CHAMPION VICTORIAN TWO YEAR OLD THE PREVIOUS AUTUMN AND SPRING. AS A SPRING THREE YEAR OLD HE CONTINUED WITH TWO GROUP ONE WINS OVER THE FLEMINGTON SPRING CARNIVAL AND WAS TO GO ON AND WIN MULTIPLE WEIGHT-FOR-AGE RACES DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
OBSERVING LEARNING HANDS-ON • FOR THE NEXT 14 YEARS WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WIN OVER 50+ GROUP ONE RACES AND HAD TWO HORSES IN THE STABLES, MANIKATO AND ROSE OF KINGSTON, THAT EVENTUALLY WERE HONOURED BY BEING AWARDED AUSTRALIAN RACEHORSE OF THE YEAR TITLES IN THE RACING SEASONS OF 1979/1980 AND 1980/1981. • DURING 1979 AND 1980 I ATTENDED 5 DAYS A WEEK A HORSE MANAGEMENT COURSE AT GLENORMISTON AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE WHILST STILL WORKING EVERY WEEKEND AND HOLIDAYS AT BOB’S STABLES. • THIS TWO YEAR COURSE WAS INTRODUCED AT THE WESTERN VICTORIAN CAMPUS IN 1979. YOU HAD TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS WORK EXPERIENCE WITH HORSES BEFORE YOU COULD BE CONSIDERED A SUITABLE CANDIDATE. • THE FOUR CORE COMPONENTS OF THE COURSE WERE : HORSE, PLANT PRODUCTION, FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. • THE HORSE SYLLABUS INCLUDED ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, SOUNDNESS, VETERINARY, RIDING, BREAKING-IN, BREEDING, RACING, SPELLING, REHABILITATION, TRAINING ETC.
HOW DO I END UP IN MALAYSIA ? • AFTER A VERY BRIEF TRAINING CAREER I JOINED DON BAERTSCHIGER’S EPSOM STABLES AT MORDIALLOC IN MELBOURNE AS HIS FOREMAN IN 1990 AND TRAVELLED UP WITH HIM TO KUALA LUMPUR WHERE HE HAD BEEN GRANTED A TRAINER’S LICENCE AT THE SOON TO BE OPENED NEW SELANGOR TURF CLUB AT SUNGAI BESI IN 1993. • WHEN DON MOVED TO SINGAPORE TO TRAIN AT KRANJI IN 1999 I BECAME MANAGER OF VETPLUS SDN.BHD., A SMALL HORSE FEED MANUFACTURING COMPANY AND EQUINE RETAIL DISTRIBUTOR. • I WAS LUCKY TO JOIN UP WITH A FAR LARGER AND DIVERSE BUT STILL EQUINE-ORIENTATED OPERATION IN 2015 WITH MITAVITE-ASIA AND EQUINE NUTRITION AUSTRALASIA AND HOPE TO FINISH OUT MY WORKING CAREER HERE IN MALAYSIA AND ATTEMPTING IN SOME SMALL WAY TO EDUCATE, EXPOSE AND TEACH EQUINE ENTHUSIASTS.
UTM EQUINE HEALTH/MANAGEMENT CAREER PROSPECTS. • IN 2009, THE 17 TH ANNUAL MALAYSIAN EQUINE COUNCIL ESTIMATED THE HORSE POPULATION IN MALAYSIA TO BE AROUND 10,000, INCLUSIVE OF SABAH AND SARAWAK. IN 2018, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THIS FIGURE IS AROUND 8,000. • THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 150+ REGISTERED EQUINE CLUBS, ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED WITH AROUND 5000 PERSONNEL. 20% OF THIS WORKFORCE WAS EXPECTED TO BE INVOLVED IN MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THE EQUINE INDUSTRY. • THIS AREA FOR GRADUATES WAS EXPECTED TO BE THE MAIN AREA FOR EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT. OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER AREAS INCLUDING BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEUR ENTITIES, SERVICES AND SUPPORT SUPPLIERS, RECREATION AND CLUBS AS WELL AS COACHING, TRAINING, LECTURING. YOUTH AND SPORTS OFFICERS AT GOVERNMENT AND STATE LEVELS ARE OTHER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. • MALAYSIA HAS AN EQUINE INDUSTRY THAT IS OVER 150 YEARS OLD. THE YEARLY INDUSTRY TURNOVER IS A BILLION RINGGIT. IT IS A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ECONOMY AS AN EMPLOYER OF PEOPLE; IT SUPPORTS INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE ENGAGED IN PROVIDING THE MANY SERVICES THAT THE INDUSTRY REQUIRES – THE THOROUGHBRED SECTOR AND THE SPORT HORSE/EQUESTRIAN SECTOR.
UTM PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES/STRUCTURE • PRODUCE PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE SKILLED AND COMPETENT IN EQUINE SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT GLOBALLY. • CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY’S EQUINE INDUSTRY. HIGHLY CAPABLE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TO BE PROMINENT MEMBERS OR LEADERS IN EQUINE TEAMS. • CURRICULUM STRUCTURE HAS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF VARIOUS EQUINE ASSOCIATIONS, ESTABLISHMENTS, EQUINE COUNCIL. • THE PERCENTAGE OF THE STUDY METHODS BEING DELIVERED WERE INITIALLY PREDICTED AT 72% TEACHING COURSES, 18% PRACTICAL, 6% INDUSTRIAL TRAINING AND 4% OF INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP PROJECTS.
HORSE FARM MANAGERS • EXPERIENCE IS KEY. • KNOWLEDGE AND EXPOSURE TO ALL THINGS EQUINE IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT. • A UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE GRADUATE “MAY” POSSIBLY SKIP SOME STEPS ON THE LADDER UP TO A MANAGEMENT POSITION BUT WITHOUT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND GOOD MENTORING THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS. • AN ASSISTANT BARN/STABLE MANAGER WOULD NEED SKILLS IN THE GROUND WORK AND DAILY OPERATIONS OF AN EQUINE FACILITY. HANDLING, TRAINING AND RE-TRAINING SKILLS OF ALL TYPES OF HORSES IS NECESSARY. ROUTINE MEDICAL AND VETERINARY CARE AND TREATMENT, NUTRITION AND EXERCISE PROGRAMS & SKILL SETS ARE NECESSARY. PASTURE, ROTATIONAL GRAZING, LANDSCAPING, MACHINERY, ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS ARE ALL IMPORTANT AREAS THAT HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WILL DEVELOP.
AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT • LECTURERS AFTER FURTHER STUDY. • OVERSEAS WORK EXPERIENCE, SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. • THOROUGHBRED TURF CLUB ADMINISTRATION – MRA MALAYAN RACING ASSOCIATION; JUDGES, STEWARDS, HANDICAPPERS, CLUB SECRETARY, PUBLIC RELATIONS. • REHABILITATION AND SPELLING FARM MANAGEMENT. • TRANSPORT & FLOAT INFRASTRUCTURE. • QUARANTINE WITH ANIMAL IMPORT/EXPORT OF HORSES AND SMALL ANIMALS. • MALAYSIAN HORSE PRODUCTS AND TAKING THEM INTERNATIONAL – SOY HULL PELLETS/ EXTRUDED RICE BRAN CUBES/ RUBBERWOOD ANIMAL BEDDING
EQUINE AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT • MEM MALAYSIAN EQUINE MALAYSIA (EQUINE COUNCIL) – GOVERNMENT LINKAGES AND INDUSTRY TRAINING PROVIDERS. • NOSS (NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS AND SAFETY) FACILITATORS AND EDUCATORS. • EAM (EQUESTRIAN ASSOCIATION MALAYSIA) – ORGANIZING EVENTS AND COMPETITIONS AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS. REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF MALAYSIA IN ALL MATTERS CONCERNED WITH THE FEI (FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONAL).
EMPLOYMENT EQUINE POSSIBILITIES • RIDING COACHES / EQUESTRIAN CLUB MANAGERS AND TRAINERS / SHOW JUMPING COURSE DESIGNERS / THERAPEUTIC RIDING INSTRUCTORS AND FACILITATORS FOR THE DISABLED AND MENTALLY CHALLENGED / EQUINE VETERINARY TECHNICIANS / EQUINE SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPISTS AND NATUROPATHS / REHABILITATION TECHNICIANS / HORSE HOLIDAY TRAIL & TOUR OPERATORS / DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION BREEDING PROGRAMS FOR ARABIANS IN MALAYSIA / EQUINE RELATED RESEARCH WITH BERNAS (RICE BRAN, ANALYSIS, EXPORT ETC.) AND MARDI (RESEARCH WITH HAYLAGE, GRASS, HAYS AND SEEDS ETC.)
EMPLOYMENT EQUINE POSSIBILITIES
FURTHER EXPERIENCE • AUSTRALIAN EQUINE INSTITUTE – HORSEMANSHIP (RIDING/HANDLING/BEHAVIOUR). • UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND – EQUINE NUTRITION & HEALTH. • EQUITATION SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL – MODERNISING HORSE TRAINING WITH THE BEHAVIOUR, LEARNING, BIOMECHANICS, HANDLER AND RIDER EFFECTS, AND ATTACHMENT. ENHANCING HUMAN SAFETY, HORSE WELFARE AND TRAINING EFFICIENCY. • GODOLPHIN FLYING START MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM SPECIALIZING IN THE INTERNATIONAL THOROUGHBRED RACING AND BREEDING INDUSTRY. • KENTUCKY EQUINE RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS (EQUINE NUTRITION AND EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY) AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES (BUSINESS, PRODUCTION, MARKETING)
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