This week we caught up with our 2026 Sunline Scholarship recipient, Niamh Waters, to hear about her experiences over the past month during her time in Ireland and Scotland.
From working in the foaling units at Coolmore Stud and visiting iconic racecourses such as The Curragh, to touring Ballydoyle and gaining hands-on experience at the Goffs UK sales, Niamh has immersed herself in all aspects of the thoroughbred industry.
'The past month has been incredibly busy, and it is hard to believe how quickly my time in Ireland has gone. My final placement at Coolmore Stud was at Prospect, one of the foaling units, and it was without a doubt one of my favourite parts of my experience so far. I absolutely loved the work there and really enjoyed being so actively involved with the mares and young foals on a day-to-day basis. It was a fantastic environment to learn in, and I gained a huge amount of hands-on experience during my time there.
Outside of work, I also had the opportunity to experience racing in Ireland properly for the first time. One highlight was attending an Irish point-to-point, which was completely different to anything we have at home. The atmosphere, the style of racing, and how connected it is to the breeding and National Hunt industry made it an interesting experience and gave me a much better understanding of that side of the sport.
I also got the chance to go racing at Curragh Racecourse, which was incredibly exciting. As such an iconic racecourse with so much history, it was amazing to finally see it in person after hearing so much about it throughout my time in the industry.
Another major highlight was touring Ballydoyle, the training base of Aidan O’Brien. Seeing the scale of the operation firsthand was honestly mind-blowing. The facilities were incredible, and it was fascinating to see the level of organisation and detail that goes into managing such a successful and world-renowned yard. It was a real privilege to be able to visit and gain insight into how everything runs behind the scenes.
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at Coolmore Stud for making my time there such an incredible experience. I was welcomed so warmly from the moment I arrived and was given so many opportunities to learn and experience various parts of the industry. The knowledge, support, and generosity shown by everyone throughout my placement is something I am extremely grateful for, and it made my time in Ireland genuinely unforgettable.
I have now finished the Irish leg of my scholarship and moved on to my next placement at Goffs UK in Scotland. I have only been here for two weeks, but I have already had so many new experiences and have learned a huge amount in a short time.
For the past week and a half, I’ve been at the Doncaster Spring Store, Horses in Training, and Pointto-Point Sale. During the sales, I had the opportunity to help with pre-sale vetting, spend time helping in the sales office, and look at horses throughout the complex. One of the most enjoyable experiences was having the chance to do some bid spotting on sale days, which I found surprisingly fun and exciting. Being involved in so many different aspects of the sale gave me a much better appreciation for everything that goes into running a successful auction.
I’ve now returned to the Goffs UK headquarters in Scotland, next week I will begin travelling with the bloodstock team carrying out yearling inspections in preparation for the Premier Doncaster Yearling Sale in August. I am really looking forward to seeing another side of the industry and learning more about assessing young horses from a sales company’s perspective.
Looking back over the past month, I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given so far. From foaling units and racecourses to sales complexes and yearling inspections, every experience has taught me something different. I’m excited to continue learning as I move into the next stage of the scholarship and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way'.
