European Exports With Robyn Murray

[Wandering Eyes]

European Exports is a series where we catch up with people who have left their home countries to make a new life in racing in America. Today, we speak with Coolmore’s Robyn Murray.

TDN: Where are you originally from?

RM: I’m from Middleham in North Yorkshire, and it’s quite a big horse racing town. We have around 15 to 20 trainers there at any one time like Mark Johnston and Karl Burke, so I grew up around horses. My family was kind of involved in ownership. It was a fantastic place to be, getting to see some incredible horses.

TDN: Did you work in racing there before coming over to America?

RM: I did. I started off working in racing, and I rode out for a little while. I certainly wasn’t going to be the next Frankie Dettori, but I enjoyed it at the time. And then from working in racing I went on and did the English National Stud Course and took it from there. I was very lucky to be able to travel. I went to New Zealand, to Australia, to Ireland, and then came over here three years ago and haven’t left since.

TDN: Is there anything you miss about home?

RM: Not really. Obviously the weather’s a little bit chillier here during the winter, but I still get to go backwards and forwards because everything is so international you get to see everyone when the sales and the racing are on.

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TDN: What do you like about working in racing in America?

RM: We’re so incredibly lucky here with having Keeneland just down the road for the racing and the sales, and Churchill Downs just up the road as well. It’s quite incredible to be so close by to everything and also Lexington is a beautiful place. There’s a lot of us English and Irish over here as well which kind of makes it like a home away from home.

TDN: When you go back home, does your family make any comments on your accent?

RM: A couple of people mentioned a slight American twang but then also people said Irish as well, which I guess considering I work around so many Irish people; neither way is a bad thing, but I think I’ve still got the Yorkshire hint in there.

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