This week on Betavet Under the Radar, we caught up with Bella Illston, Assistant Yearling Manager at Cambridge Stud, who combines hands-on work in the yearling yard with office support across the operation. Bella shares her passion for developing young horses and staff, the importance of creating a positive working environment, and why showcasing the many career pathways within the thoroughbred industry is key to attracting the next generation.
Explain your role in the industry and who you work for.
I work at Cambridge Stud, where I balance a dual role as Assistant Yearling Manager and provide office support where needed. My primary focus is the yearling yard, where I oversee our yearling crop and manage their daily development towards the sales ring and, ultimately, becoming happy, healthy racehorses.
I am also involved in administration, which allows me to experience the business side of the operation. I handle on-farm data entry and am fortunate to be learning about hospitality and events management directly from our Office Manager, Michele Plumptre.
Balancing these roles gives me a unique perspective on how a world-class stud operates, from both the stables and the office.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I have always thrived in fast-paced, high-pressure environments, and the variety of my role feeds directly into that energy. What really keeps me going, however, is seeing the confidence grow in both our young stock and our young staff. I love watching them find their rhythm throughout the preparation, work alongside one another and genuinely learn to love the craft.
For me, there is nothing better than watching a fresh passion for the industry develop and knowing I have played a small part in someone’s success story.
What was your path into the industry?
Falling in love with the Thoroughbred industry was never something I expected. If I’m being honest, it is an industry I grew up around but had no real interest in joining. I come from a family of equestrian riders, trainers and stud hands, but I was adamant I wouldn’t pursue a career in the same field.
Obviously, I was wrong. I took my first seasonal job at Milan Park during a high-school summer break. I enjoyed the work enough to spend a second summer at Westbury Stud, where I gained experience across all areas of the farm. Russell Warwick was a huge influence and encouraged me to progress further within the industry.
After several more seasons working between study and travel, I realised I was always happiest with the horses. I eventually settled into my full-time role at Cambridge Stud, learning from industry greats such as Henry Plumptre and the team around me.
Karaka is always a turning point for me, the environment, the complex and the people. I’ve long had a passion for event planning and hospitality, so seeing so many career pathways come together on such a large scale made me realise there was a genuine place for both my passion for horses and my love of organisation within one career.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
My mother, Donna Illston, is the obvious answer. While she has always been an incredibly supportive parent, she was also my primary professional role model in my early years, when she was my Yearling Manager at Westbury Stud.
What I have always admired most about her in the workplace is the incredible learning environment she creates within the yearling team. She set high expectations and stood her ground, but always ensured the yard was a supportive, family-like environment where no question was considered stupid and everyone had room to develop. Her patient and open approach made her a well-loved manager, and it is something I aspire to bring to my own management style every day.
Her philosophy in the yard has always been, “Happy yearlings make fast racehorses.” It is something I live by while working with our yearlings throughout their preparation. It reminds me that, although our short-term goal is to get each horse through the sales ring, our real goal is to give them the quality foundation and confidence they need to reach the racetrack.
Are you, or have you previously been, involved in the industry in other ways?
Stud work has been my focus over the past few years. I love working with yearlings at the sales and have freelanced on the Australian sales circuit for several years.
It is always a fantastic experience and has given me the opportunity to meet new people, make lifelong friends and learn from the way others handle their horses. I enjoy bringing that knowledge home and applying it to my own sales preparation.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the industry, and how would you solve it?
One of the biggest challenges facing the industry isn’t getting young people through the door; it’s preventing the burnout many experience once they settle in. The love of horses and the excitement found across all areas of the industry are easy initial hooks. However, the early mornings, long hours and physical nature of the work mean that even the most passionate people can eventually hit a wall.
One way to address this is to prioritise and promote a sustainable personal lifestyle alongside the job. Motivation is often easy to maintain during the early stages of a career, when everything is new and exciting. Introducing modern roster systems that provide predictable time off can help people manage their energy and reduce the risk of burnout.
Proactively supporting our teams’ wellbeing is a small but positive step towards transforming a demanding, high-performance industry into a sustainable, lifelong career.
How would you attract more young people into the workforce?
Following on from that, I think it is important to recognise that each generation’s expectations of the workplace continue to evolve. It is unrealistic to expect young people to fit the same mould that worked for previous generations and assume it will have the same appeal.
One of the best ways to attract more young people is to show them how many different career pathways exist within the Thoroughbred industry. To someone looking in from the outside, “working with horses” may sound like one very specific career. The industry needs everyone from hands-on horse people to those working in administration, marketing, hospitality, finance and many other areas.
We also need to do a better job of showcasing the lifestyle and opportunities the industry can offer, rather than focusing only on the hard work. There are opportunities to travel, form lifelong friendships and develop skills that can take you far beyond the farm. I have been fortunate to experience all of that, and these are opportunities we should be proud of and actively promote.
Ultimately, young people need to be able to see themselves in the industry. If we can show them that there is room to build a career around their passions while maintaining a sustainable life outside work, we have a much better chance of not only attracting young talent but retaining it.
What advice would you give someone wanting to enter the industry in any capacity?
My biggest piece of advice is to be willing to learn from everyone. This industry moves quickly and relies on an enormous collective pool of knowledge. It is important to remember that everyone started at ground level. Whether you are talking to a trainer, veterinarian, manager or someone in administration, every person has a unique perspective to offer.
If you arrive with an open mind and genuine curiosity, people will notice your positive attitude and often go out of their way to help you succeed. Ask questions, listen to those with experience and treat every task as an opportunity to learn. You will quickly find your footing.
Most importantly, stay humble, respect those with experience and never think you are too accomplished to learn something new.
Who is your favourite racehorse of all time, and why?
Snazzytavi. I only recently began delving into the racing side of the industry, and Snazzy was my first introduction to a race mare who inspired so much care and celebration. What first caught my attention was how closely the entire Cambridge Stud team followed her career and celebrated her wins together during breakfast.
Later, I was fortunate enough to get to know her personally during her recovery at the farm. She showed incredible perseverance through a difficult period and never let her condition diminish her dynamic personality.
It has been inspiring to witness the compassion and devotion of her team, led by Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay. Snazzytavi will always be a horse I reflect on fondly, and I look forward to working with her future progeny as she joins the broodmare band here at Cambridge Stud.
Tell us something about yourself that not many people would know.
Anyone who has spent time with me learns quickly that I am a serial yapper. As talking is my tool of the trade, everyone tends to know everything about me!
Something not many people would know is that I come from an incredibly large family. At the most recent count, my grandparents on my mother’s side had more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, while I am one of seven grandchildren on my father’s side.
This is probably where my talking problem began, as I always had to fight to get a word in throughout my childhood!
What are your interests outside of your role?
Outside the industry, I have a passion for netball and have represented Leamington Sports Club’s Premier team for several seasons. Through the club, I am also fortunate to have the opportunity to coach a team each year, which I really enjoy.
I also love baking and tending to my houseplants. I’m a fidgety person, so I find both activities particularly relaxing after a long day. They give me something to do with my hands while allowing my mind to switch off.
