EIT Hawke’s Bay graduate Shona Moore’s great horse sense has been recognised in her appointment as New Zealand’s first female stipendiary steward.

Having worked as a racing administration trainee at New Zealand Thoroughbred’s national office in Wellington for the past year, Shona took over her new position this  month.  She is based in the Waikato, covering the sporting body’s northern region.

Stipendiary stewards attend all race meetings to ensure racing remains honest, fair and safe for everyone involved.  They investigate and charge any breaches of the rules of racing, attend trials and jump-outs, visit tracks and provide assistance and tuition at apprentice jockey schools. 

So it’s an exciting move for Shona, who completed a Diploma in Applied Science (Equine Studies) at EIT before staircasing to the Bachelor of Applied Science (Equine Studies) at Charles Sturt University in Australia.

“There are many parts of my degree that will assist me in my role as a steward,” she says. 

That might involve quickly checking a horse for abnormalities at the end of a race, using her knowledge of various performance-enhancing drugs and communicating information between vets, farriers and other raceday officials.

Growing up on the family’s sheep farm in Mossburn encouraged Shona’s love of horses.  She took part in show jumping, eventing and pony club activities, and, after leaving school, learned about the commercial management of horses working for a year at the Curraghmore stud farm in the Waikato.

Investigating her options for pursuing equine studies, she was delighted to find that EIT had recently launched a two-year diploma programme and that, with a further year at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, she could have her degree.

“The Charles Sturt equine degree is an excellent course, and New Zealanders are fortunate in having the opportunity to complete two years towards that degree through EIT in Napier.  For many students, it isn’t financially feasible to do the full three years in Australia.

“It worked out perfectly for me, otherwise I would have had to work longer to save for the full degree study programme in Australia.”

Coming to Hawke’s Bay for the first time was a big step, Shona recalls, but staying in the student villas opposite the Taradale campus allowed her to form a good circle of friends and she enjoyed EIT’s study environment.

“Anyone serious about a career in the equine/racing industry and who wants to go that extra bit further should definitely consider this degree,” she says of the EIT-Charles Sturt study combination.

“Remember that the practical is just as valuable as the theory.  After all, an Applied Science Degree in Equine Studies is quite literally the application of science to horses.

“People with good hands-on horsemanship skills accompanied with extensive equine/business knowledge will be well-sought after in the racing industry in particular.”