Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the parent company of Racing UK, and the Jockeys Education & Training Scheme (JETS) have announced former dual-purpose jockey Mikey Ennis, 37, as the successful applicant for this year’s Media Traineeship aimed at jockeys and former jockeys.
The inaugural RMG & JETS Media Traineeship took place in 2017 when Shelley Birkett and Jason Kiely were the successful recipients. This year, Ennis will be undertaking a six-week comprehensive programme covering all aspects of the media, including presentation, punditry, production, digital, marketing and PR. The course will be hosted primarily at RMG’s London locations of Ealing and Victoria and will begin on November 5.
Mikey rode as a jockey for nine years starting out as an amateur jockey for Martin Pipe where he enjoyed big race wins aboard Swing Bill at Cheltenham and Big Occasion in the Midlands Grand National. He then moved to Newmarket, splitting his time riding for John Ferguson’s Jumps operation and working for Godolphin as a work rider and travelling horses to Australia.
Speaking about what motivated him to apply for the traineeship, Mikey said, “In Australia I had seen how key the media is to the success of racing and it sparked an interest. I then spoke to Phil Kinsella from JETS, who gave me the boost of confidence I needed to apply for the role. There are so many different angles that interest me and there is a huge amount to learn. Hopefully I can find my niche and gain some invaluable experience.”
Seb Vance, Director of PR & Communications at RMG, said: “We are really looking forward to working with Mikey. I am sure he will be a great asset no matter what area he’s working in. We are grateful to his employer Godolphin, who have kindly given him a sabbatical to pursue this opportunity.”
Lisa Delany, JETS Manager, added: “We are extremely grateful to RMG for continuing to offer this Traineeship for jockeys. Last year’s Traineeship was a huge success and we are sure that Mikey’s enthusiasm and interest in media will stand him in good stead and help him get the most out of the course.”