Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
“I remember leading the horse up to the little arena and being so terrified, and then getting up there and absolutely loving it,” Coleman told TTR AusNZ. Her life soon revolved around riding and working with horses, progressing from weekly lessons to spending all summer riding and teaching others, so naturally the four year long equine business degree at Maynooth University, Kildare, was her “dream course”.
“It (the degree) was my first opening into the thoroughbred industry,” Coleman said, who leaped at every opportunity she could get to expand her international horizons, including a summer internship with Godolphin at Jonabell Farm (USA), and a six month placement at Curraghmore Stud (NZ) under the tutelage of Gordon Cunningham during her third year.
Emma competing in a show hunter class
“I’ve never met a more incredible horseman, Gordon taught me so much. His attention to detail - I’ve never seen anything like it,” Coleman said.
Australian powerhouse
She followed Curraghmore with a six month stint working for Australian powerhouse Chris Waller, her placement coinciding with the peak of champion racemare Winx’s (Street Cry {Ire}) career.
“Only now I can appreciate how incredible the systems are in a place like that and the horses I was dealing with,” Coleman said of working in the very barn Winx lived and trained out of. “I was getting to witness history without realising it at the time.”
Following university, Coleman applied for and was accepted into her “dream programme”, the Godolphin Flying Start, fulfilling a goal she had set at age sixteen when she first heard about the course.
Godolphin Flying Start class of 2021 | Image courtesy of Godolphin Flying Start
“I was doing work experience at Coolmore Stud and someone there mentioned it, and I had never heard of it,” said Coleman, who spent that fateful evening fervently researching the programme. “I thought, this is the most insane course, how the hell do I get on this?!”
Life-changing placement
Embarking on the programme in 2019, Coleman enjoyed a life-changing placement with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott that started at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“It was the most incredible two weeks ever, I was Gai’s (Waterhouse) right hand woman at the sale so it was pretty amazing to see every single thing that she saw on a horse,” Coleman said, who had the opportunity to scribe Waterhouse’s personal notes on every yearling inspected. “She misses absolutely nothing.”
Emma Coleman and Gai Waterhouse
Following the sale, Coleman spent several weeks at Tulloch Lodge, the Waterhouse and Bott headquarters in Kensington, split between hands-on work in the barn and further education in the office, before Waterhouse made her a tantalising offer.
“Gai (Waterhouse) asked me, what are you planning on doing when you graduate, would you come back and work for us?,” Coleman said. “I didn’t even need to think twice about it.”
She was on track to make the permanent move to Australia.
The return to Tulloch Lodge
Returning to Ireland for her final Flying Start placement before graduation, Coleman speaks highly of her time at the Irish National Stud, working under CEO Cathal Beale.
“He (Beale) has a great eye for a horse and an amazing relationship with people, and he’s a very empathetic leader, I really enjoyed learning under him,” Coleman said, describing the tourism department as a “great, bubbly young team”.
Cathal Beale | Image courtesy of Goffs
As the world slowly opened back up for travel after COVID restrictions eased, it was just a waiting game for the flight that would take Coleman back to Australia.
After a promising call from her travel agent, Coleman finished up work, got her life in order, and boarded a plane bound for Sydney the next day.
When she first arrived back at Tulloch Lodge, Coleman started in a hands-on role in the barn, before transitioning into a sales role a little over two years ago.
“After a promising call from her travel agent, Coleman finished up work, got her life in order, and boarded a plane bound for Sydney the next day.”
“Every day is extremely different,” Coleman said, who spoke about entertaining clients on race days, promoting yearling acquisitions, and Sunday Stables, their regular open house event that invites clients into Tulloch Lodge. “They (owners) can go visit their horse, give them a carrot, have a glass of champagne in the TJ Smith room.
“I love watching the friendships that blossom out of that. You can pack your whole year with the events we put on.”
A highlight event for Coleman was working closely with jockey Adam Hyeronimus to put together the inaugural Waterhouse/Bott Golf Classic in April last year, where they brought together eighty clients to raise over $15,000 for charity Equine Pathways Australia.
Tulloch Lodge
“Out of all the horses I’ve sold and things I’ve done,” Coleman said, “that was probably one of my proudest moments.”
Admiration for the First Lady of Australian racing
On working for Waterhouse, Coleman was full of admiration for the First Lady of Australian racing’s knowledge and passion, but also her commitment to the industry’s younger generation.
“She (Waterhouse) loves surrounding herself with young people,” Coleman said. “She says young people always have fresh ideas, are always enthusiastic, and she's always learning from young people. And we’re always learning from her!
“She (Waterhouse) loves surrounding herself with young people... She says young people always have fresh ideas, are always enthusiastic, and she's always learning from young people. And we’re always learning from her!” - Emma Coleman
“I have an absolute dream job, I work with the most amazing people and incredible horses every day, so I’m extremely happy right now.”
The way forward
Looking to the future, Coleman wishes to take the strengths of Australian racing and inject it into her home country, with an eye for syndication and marketing.
“We are so blessed in Australia with how vibrant it (the racing industry) is,” Coleman said, citing the accessibility of owning part of a racehorse thanks to microsyndication, and the diverse demographics that can be seen at racetracks around Australia.
“We are so blessed in Australia with how vibrant it (the racing industry) is.” - Emma Coleman
Coleman has never seen coming from a non-racing background as a big obstacle, and credits the opportunities and knowledge that so many people in the racing industry have given her over the years.
“People are so willing to help you and give you opportunities in racing,” Coleman said, who recommends anyone interested in the industry to start asking questions and. “I’ve been so pleasantly surprised at how much people want to help, and get you connected with the right people, and give you a leg up.
Adrian Bott, Emma Coleman and Adam Hyeronimus
“I live by a quote; the expert in everything was once a beginner. We were all a blank canvas at some point in our lives. We’re all very much connected in this game. It’s such a special industry to work in.”
