Jake Woolf

College/Training Establishment Attended: Writtle Agricultural College

Course Studied: BSc (Hons) Equine Breeding and Stud Management

Year of Graduation/Completion: 2007

Current job title including company: Stud Groom – Longholes Stud, Newmarket.

Description of job: My career since graduating has been incredible. I’m now a Stud Groom at Longholes Stud Newmarket. It was the position I had decided to work towards and am very pleased that the career path I had chosen over the past 13 years has paid off.

My job requires me to manage every aspect of a Thoroughbred stud farm, including staff, horses and their management. During the breeding season the farm can facilitate up to 100 horses which includes foals, brood mares, barren and maiden mares. We also are able to facilitate resting racehorses including colts and isolation horses awaiting transport to foreign countries. All these horses arriving at Longholes stud to board require the utmost attention upon which this public boarding stud has based its name and reputation. Everything from farrier work to worming, vaccinations to foaling is my responsibility however I work extremely closely with the stud’s manager who overseas the entire studs operations.

Longholes Stud boasts 100 acres of first-rate facilities, we welcome boarding mares and followers along with walkout mares during the breeding season. We have excellent facilities for yearling and foal pre-sale preparation, resting and rehabilitating of racehorses especially in the summer and up to the preceding breeding season.  

Good elements of job: There are many, whether it be bringing a new born foal into the world and looking at him/her wondering if this maybe the next Derby/oaks winner or the next champion hurdler at Cheltenham. Or preparing a yearling for public auction and regardless of the final sale price taking pride at your 10 weeks of hard work walking around the sales ring knowing that you have given that animal the best start to its racing career. Like I have said there are many, and far too many to mention but these are in my opinion the best elements of my job.

Bad elements of job: There is only one, and that is during the foaling season a pure lack of sleep.