Personality Profile – Know Them Better

A Camden born girl raised on a farm with a love of horses has found the perfect job combining diverse business skills with a rewarding career in the thoroughbred industry.



This week we find out more about Julieanne Christopher, the Executive Officer for HTBA and TBNSW.


1/ Where are you from, and what got you in involved in the thoroughbred industry?

Born in Camden NSW, raised on the family farm/ Sawmill 15 minutes from Camden. Growing up we had horses, cattle, deer, sheep and at one point produced crayfish for restaurants. When I got a driver’s license my first job was delivering firewood.

My love of horses started from the time I could walk. I’ve had many horses over the years, riding at pony club, eventing and with the Sydney Hunt Club.



Our family-owned racehorses, occasionally spelling at the farm. We’ve had a few Thoroughbreds off the track, my first ‘Stormy’ I got at age 18 from Sydney Hunt Master Les Hutcheson, Les had him off the track a year and took him to maybe four hunts that season.

Not long after I convinced my boyfriend at the time to come with me on a hunt (not exactly an experienced rider), 6ft tall I put him on my semi-retired 14hh stockhorse, arriving late hastily adjusting stirrup lengths as we set off to catch up with the field.

Stormy took off at lightning speed I yelled back “you’ll be right babe just stay on!”. He finally caught up with us after a few fences, no stirrups, an old red coat handed him a hip flask saying ‘here you go son, this’ll help’. He must’ve had fun despite the chaos, he came with me to a few more hunts and we ended up married a few years later.



Leaving school, I took on a floristry traineeship, business administration traineeship, worked as a law clerk office in Sydney, hosted coach tours then studied marketing and accounting. My career never stopped evolving, working for many different industries, from accounts at Volvo Earthmoving, running preventative electrical maintenance crews across Australia, managing a chain of pool supplies and service stores, set up small businesses programs with Chambers of Commerce and co-ordinated corporate conferences. Along the way managed to help my husband with his construction business, have two children and renovate houses.

10 years ago my husband took a 12-month construction contract in the Hunter not planning to move permanently. I took a part-time admin job at a Stud near Denman and only a year or two in accepted the job with the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association (HTBA), three years later took on the Thoroughbred Breeders NSW (TBNSW) work as well.

Everything I’ve learnt in business, mixed with a passion for horses it really is an amazing combination. My parents would tell people, she’s found her dream job, no chance they’re coming back to Camden.

2/ What does a workday in the life of Julianne Christopher look like?
 

No day looks the same, nor does each year as the Executive Officer for both the HTBA and TBNSW, I often get asked how this is possible given NSW is the largest state of Thoroughbred Breeders? Answering “Variety is the spice of life and I thrive on new challenges”. It certainly keeps me on my toes, answering to two boards and balancing alignment between entities.

There’s always more than one project on the go, my job can go from cruisy days out and about, to hours in front of the laptop late at night, managing accounts, memberships and sponsorships, board meetings, producing magazines, attending sales, engaging with stakeholders, stud tours, coordinating awards nights and race day events, hosting sponsors, running seminars and developing industry training courses. Actively collaborating with the other industry bodies, possibly giving away too many good ideas in the process but at least something eventuates from them.

It's very similar to running two small businesses side by side, drawing from experiences from running multiple branches back in Sydney. There isn’t a large team to draw on, fortunately I have great board members to work with.

Education is the project I’m particularly passionate about, several years of trying to attract young people into the industry through school-based traineeships, convincing farms to train them was taking its toll, it’s not always about marketing.

As an advocate for professional development, immersed in analysing the workforce shortage and lack of formal education pathway in the breeding industry. Curiosity led to a Diploma of Applied Psychology, I wanted to unlock the drivers to make real change for longevity of the industry workforce.

In late 2020 the NSW Workforce Development Project commenced, focused heavily on retention and the existing workforce. We wanted to evolve workplace culture for the betterment of newcomers. Our small team secured over $1 million in Government funding to pilot free training to the Hunter Valley breeding industry. An array of programs from High School work experience and formal education pathways leading to Supervisors/ Leadership short courses. By the end 2021 navigating through covid, we delivered training to nearly 200 people.

The project proved to support retention and in turn opens a career pathway for graduates of newcomer programs TBA Fast Track, TIC Explorer Cadetships and Silverdale Farms Internships.

I’m really excited to be working on phase two this year and expanding the free training across the state for industry participants in breeding and racing.

I would love to see each state-run easily accessible programs for their existing workforce to support their people, our workforce is the backbone of our thriving industry, they are the assets to invest in for our industries future.


3/ Who is your favourite horse and why?

That’s a tough question, there are so many great horses.

If I had to pick just one I would say Castelvecchio, he caught my eye at the first Inglis Classic sale at the new Riverside Stables, following his journey I sat down with his owners Wendy and Ottavio Galletta after he won the Inglis Millennium, talking their ears off I was eager to learn more about him and why they choose him. It was great seeing his career take off, winning the Champagne Stakes, then heading out to stud, there is just something special about him. All I need now is a match making mare and the money to make it happen.

4/ Tell us about the best day you had at the races or at the sales, and what made it memorable for you?

The day started with a quick breakfast before the Easter sales, a bird pooped on my fresh white top, my order was missed resulting in inedible eggs and terrible coffee.

Heading to the bar later that day to watch to watch a filly I bred to race, she’d had a few issues as a foal and we gave young local Trainer Ben Blay the opportunity, as late starter and her first prep in, we told Ben “she’ll either do well racing or she’s heading to Pony Club, set her up for both and let’s see what happens”.



Watching from the Inglis TV screens only a few old punters nearby, we kept quietly to ourselves our filly was no’ 13, with the longest odds, we put a few dollars on in support. Mikayla Weir on board they jumped well but ended up lagging, by the 400m mark she was well behind and bunched in at the corner we assumed it was over.

The caller was ringing home the leaders in the last leg, Mikayla found a gap, broke out wide and flew up in the outside to pip them at the post by a nose, click to watch the race.

The commentator announcing “Emriz, by geez Rationally takes the win at 100 to 1”. Leapt out of our chairs, the old punters near us just about spilled their beers. Those few dollars on the nose, came in better than the prize money that day, certainly a happy easter.

Rationally (Al Maher x Bitoflight) is enjoying a spell at home, ridden around by our 15 yr old daughter. From the four foals we bred from this mare, Rationally and her half-sister Ons Vier are the only two foals to survive. Ons Vier won the Canberra Federal Highway that same Easter week.

5/ What is your favourite show on Netflix or TV?

When studying Applied Psychology a friend put me onto the series Billions on Stan.

6/ Now that  travel has opened again where is the first place you will go?

During covid lockdown my husband convinced me we should buy a boat. We’ve since sold all the horses (kept Rationally) and downsized to two acres, it’s all about that boat for holidays now.

7/ What is your favourite cuisine and restaurant?

Home-grown vegies and fresh seafood. My favourite restaurant Upstairs at Freds at Camden, incredible food with a super fun unassuming experience was the standout. Sadly, it burnt down a couple years ago, I do hope Steve and the team rebuild again soon.

8/ Name two things on your bucket list?

Snow skiing in New Zealand, only ever skied in NSW.

Present a TED talk on resilience, the importance of being comfortable with the uncomfortable.

9/ What’s the best advice someone has ever given you?

Fortunate to have a few great mentors and I have learned to seek opportunities to evolve, innovate and progress forward and there are two things I’ve stood by.

Never stop learning, you don’t know what you don’t know, until you do.

Stand back and look at the bigger picture, feel the satisfaction of achievement and see direction of where you’re headed.

10/ Tell us one thing that not many people may know about you?

We had an overnight stop at a country pub years ago and I won the karaoke competition, still have the t-shirt somewhere.