About Us

Eleanor Boden is responsible for Managing the Scottish Racing Academy and its education provision which includes recruitment strategies and employer engagement. Previously, Eleanor was a Senior Lecturer at Myerscough College where she earned the Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy status as well as multiple nominations for her outstanding teaching delivery. Eleanor completed her PhD at Durham University which involved researching the experiences of females from different education streams and employment in the horseracing industry. During Eleanor’s professional and academic career, she has consistently focused on improving the awareness and understanding of equality, safeguarding and inclusion, to ensure a safe space for participation and the opportunity for all to thrive. In 2021 Eleanor was appointed as the Equality, Wellbeing and Safeguarding Director of horse Scotland.

Hannah has a Level 3 apprenticeship qualification in horse care and management. Hannah began her career working with Cumbrian based trainer, Dianne Sayer – firstly undertaking yard work and later progressing to riding out, before joining the SRA team in 2019. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her own retrained racehorse, Sarge, and walks with her two dogs.

Delly Innes is founding Chair of the Scottish Racing Academy. She has been Manager of Scottish Racing since 2016 following her position as Head of Political Research for the Countryside Alliance and its Wessex Regional Director from 2004 to 2010. She also sits on the British Horseracing Authority’s Public Affairs Steering Group which develops and implements agreed racing industry strategy on political engagement in both Westminster and Holyrood.

Morag Gray has been involved in sports administration for over 30 years. Initially she was Clerk of the Course at Ayr and Hamilton Park. She then worked for the Racecourse Association in Ascot for 10 years, after which she returned to Scotland as Chief Executive at Hamilton Park. She was a Director of the BHA for 7 years. She has served as a Trustee of Racing to School, chairing Racing Together, and Racing Welfare.

Having ridden in point-to-points at an early age, Jonathan developed a passion for horse racing that continues to grow. He has managed the racecourses at Worcester, Fontwell Park, Cartmel and Kelso and is a Director of Racecourse Media Group as well as operating his own company, Making Great Tracks.

Since 1995 Lucinda Russell has been training National Hunt horses including more than 700 winners and nine graded winners and winners at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals. Lucinda trains in the beautiful Kinross countryside near Edinburgh with her partner Peter Scudamore MBE, an eight time champion jockey who rode 1,678 winners in a record breaking career. Together they have formed a partnership which has produced the most successful racing yard in the history of Scottish jump racing.

Ken McGarrity is a Chartered Accountant and a highly regarded member of the racing community. He holds the Scottish seat on the council of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA). Ken has extensive financial knowledge and leadership experience through director positions at Nairns Oatcakes, Lothians Racing Syndicate and Queen Margaret University. Ken brings together a fusion of education and horseracing knowledge with a specialism in finance.

Fiona Rawson is the Education and Development Manager at horsescotland, through her role she works closely with Sportscotland the National Agency for sport and the Scottish Sports Association. Fiona leads on Safeguarding, Coaching/ Workforce Development, Inclusion, Diversity & Representation and Performance within horsescotland and brings vast experience from her 18 years working within the Scottish Sport landscape. Fiona has a real passion for developing opportunities in a safe inclusive environment to ensure everyone has the access to get involved with Equestrian Activity through their chosen pathway.

Geoff has a degree in law and over 30 years of board experience in the oil, engineering and financial services industries, as well as in the public sector. He was director of Group Business Services for Prudential Corporation plc and a non-executive director of Her Majesty’s Prison Service when he started Strategic Thinking Group (www.strategicthinker.com) in the UK in 1990s. He works with organisations of all sizes helping them set and implement their strategy, is an investor in a number of early stage businesses and has been an active owner of national hunt racehorses both as a sole owner and syndicate member for over 25 years.

Andrew McDiarmid is an equine vet who has specialised in equine orthopaedics for 35 years. Andrew worked at the Royal (Dick) school of Veterinary medicine until 2020, leaving as head of Large Animal orthopaedics, He was instrumental in the formation and building of Clyde Vet Group Equine Hospital, the only RCVS recognised private equine hospital in Scotland.

Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and an associate of the the Royal Agricultural Societies. Throughout Andrews career he has treated many of Scotland’s leading racehorses. Andrews particular areas of interest are lameness, keyhole surgery and the management and preventive treatment of youngstock.

Kevin Harper is an ex professional footballer who played in the Premiership in England and Scotland, has a Diploma in Football Management from the University of Liverpool.

At the age of 17 he became the first ever black player to play for Hibernian Football Club thus becoming a pioneer and opening the door for the black players that have followed in his path.
Kevin is a diversity and inclusion public speaker and champions equality in sport.

Emma is the level 5 tutor and assessor for the Scottish Racing Academy having transferred her teaching skills from being a secondary PE teacher and combined her love and passion for the racing industry to join the SRA in 2020.

Having been involved with horses all her life she has over 15years of experience working in the racing industry from groom, work rider, amateur, conditional and apprentice jockey to her current position as assistant trainer to her mother Dianne and can be frequently found at Scottish race meetings.

She has worked all over the world in, Australia for Ciaran Maher, France for Guillame Macaire and America for Graham Motion.

Since 2023 Emma has held a position sitting on the Judicial Panel where she is gaining invaluable experience on the governance and regulation of the sport, in addition Emma also sits on the Women in Racing committee.

Emma is thrilled to have joined the SRA and is fully invested in the growth and development of people looking to join the sport.

Ali started her equine career doing an old fashioned youth training scheme at a busy riding school and trekking centre, working her way through SVQ levels and BHS stages on the job.

She then went onto Oatridge Agricultural college where she achieved an H.N.D in horse management passing with distinction and being awarded the best practical student prize.

Ali went on to do some more trekking centre and stud work before falling in love with the racing industry.

She has eighteen years worth of experience in racing. Starting as a stable lass at Lucinda Russell’s yard working up to being head girl a position she held for sixteen years.

She brings with her a vast wealth of experience covering a wide range of aspects of the racing industry. She is a big believer in continual personal development. She gained her HGV while at Lucinda also completing a Head lads/lass course at British racing school and an Assistant trainers course at the Northern Racing college. She has had a career break to bring up her three children.

Ali is very excited about the Scottish Racing Academy and delighted to be part of it. She still has two of her own ex-racehorses who she looked after and rode at work at home with her as family pets.

Jamie Turnbull is the lecturer at SRUC Oatridge, delivering Horse Care Specialising in Horse Racing. Jamie has worked many years in the racing industry, most recently spending seven years as Lucinda Russell’s assistant trainer.

During this time he was awarded the Horse Scotland Employee of the Year award and was involved in the preparation of One For Arthur winning the 2017 Grand National. Before this he was Head Lad to Nick Williams and worked at a racing yard in Ireland.

Prior to Jamie’s career in racing, Jamie completed a BA(Hons) in History and Sociology at University of Stirling. Jamie looks forward to passing on his experience and passion for racing to his students to take into their careers.

Polly has been passionate about horses from a young age and knew she wanted a career within the Equine Industry. After finishing school she completed her Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horse Care Management at Myerscough College in 2014.

She started her career as a stud hand at a thoroughbred stud in Windermere that produced flat racehorses. She later came to work for Cartmel based trainer James Moffatt in 2015 as a work rider and became Yard Manager in 2017. Her favourite moments include leading up runners at the Aintree Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival.

Polly is committed to her own personal development. She completed the BHA Level 4 in Managing Staff Recruitment, Training and Retention in Horseracing in 2021 and is currently completing various other courses.

Polly is excited to be a part of the SRA team and is looking forward helping students start their career within the racing industry.

Sylvia started her career via the British Horse Society training as an instructor and competition rider, training and assessing students for equine careers from 1980 onwards. After working abroad for many years as a riding instructor and horse trainer she returned to the UK and in 2000 started her own yearling prep and racehorse rehabilitation yard. Along with this she trained many successful point-to-point and hunter chase horses. Sylvia has worked for the past 18 years for the British Racing School as a workplace Instructor and assessor based in Northern England and Scotland.

Sylvia holds BHA Level 3 in Organization and Administration in the Horseracing Industry, Level 4 in Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Process and Practice, Level 3 Assessor qualification, Certificate of Mentoring in the workplace, Level 4 Certificate in Further Education and Teaching, Level 3 in Racehorse Care and Management, Level 4 Mentoring and Life Coaching Diploma.

Sylvia is very excited to become an SRA team member and is looking forward to being a part of the opportunities the SRA bring to all.