Racing Welfare’s annual ARC Malton Open Day, held on Sunday 7th September, once again brought the local community together in celebration of racing, attracting around 750 visitors and raising an impressive £10,000 in support of the charity’s work.
The event, sponsored by Arena Racing Company (ARC), opened the doors of some of Malton’s most renowned training yards, giving visitors a rare chance to step behind the scenes of this historic racing hub. Guests were able to meet leading trainers, stable staff, and equine stars, gaining a unique insight into the dedication that underpins success on the racecourse.
The 11 yards participating in the open day consisted of Yorkshire current leading flat trainer Tim Easterby, Craig Lidster, Richard Fahey, Suzzanne France, Adrian Keatley, Ollie Pears, John Wainwright, Sara Ender, Mick and David Easterby, Ivan Furtado and Mike Sowersby.
Former jockey turned trainer Ollie Pears was delighted to welcome visitors to his family-run yard, saying: “I think it’s just nice when people can come round and get close to the horses where they often probably can’t. The weather has made today, it’s been fantastic and everybody has thoroughly enjoyed it. I think for somebody to come and touch a horse and see its head over the door and so on it just gives them a totally different perspective.”
Asked about how the event raises funds for Racing Welfare, Ollie added: “I think it’s absolutely fantastic – the staff and everybody within racing need support mentally, physically and financially and I just think it’s such a great cause.”
Following a morning of visiting the yards, many had taken advantage of the discounted combined ticket offering for York Racecourse for the Sky Bet Sunday Series in association with YorkMix Family Entertainment Zone, where they were able to see some of the horses racing in the afternoon that they’d earlier seen in their stables.
Commenting on the success of the day, Dawn Goodfellow, Chief Executive of Racing Welfare, said: “We are delighted to once again have given the public the opportunity to visit Malton’s thriving racing community and see what makes it so special, from the people to the horses and the wonderful facilities. The ARC Malton Open Day is always a highlight of the year, and this year’s event once again showed the strength of our community. The support of the trainers, stable staff, York Racecourse, ARC, and, of course, the hundreds of visitors who came along, makes a huge difference.
“Racing Welfare has been supporting racing’s people for 25 years and funds raised from events like this help to ensure we can keep providing our vital services to the people who make racing possible.”
This year’s event further strengthened the bond between the Malton racing community and the wider public, showcasing the sport’s rich heritage while highlighting Racing Welfare’s mission to support racing’s people across all stages of their lives.
Racing Welfare extends its thanks to York Racecourse, ARC, the participating trainers and their teams, and everyone who attended and contributed to making the day a resounding success.