Instagram: @yorkraces
From as far back as I can remember, my grandad Jack would be watching horse racing when I would visit as a child. The enthusiasm that he had for the sport was something to behold. Just looking at a horse, the weather, the ground on the track, many factors in mind he had an idea how a horse would fair, enough so to have a bet placed here and there.
With this in mind I had always wanted to go on a proper race day and on my 30th birthday back in August of 2021 just under an hours drive away, me and a group of friends went suited and booted to the York Racecourse for the Ebor festival. I don’t think you can ask for many better days out. Everyone dressed to impress, a feverous atmosphere with incredible company and I even managed to leave £58 up on the day.
On Saturday the 11th of May I was back at York Racecourse to interview Yorkshire Local & facilities manager Gavin Pattison to get an insight into what it’s like working at a racecourse and what it means to him.
Gav, tell us a bit about yourself leading up to your current role as facilities manager at York racecourse, whereabouts in Yorkshire are you from?
I’m from Siddal in Halifax. I started off as an apprentice joiner, went to college in Halifax, then worked my way to Bradford Media museum. From that I managed to get into the offices started to run a few jobs and then from there moved to Bradford college where I worked as head of estates and facilities, this involved all the maintenance staff the cleaning staff and all the operations staff which will have been plus 130 staff in total. Then from there I managed to get a job at York Racecourse where I am now.
What are your responsibilities as facilities manager at the racecourse? What is your day to day routine?
If its green and it grows its Aidrian who’s the head groundsman, if it’s not, it’s me, so my responsibilities are all the buildings, infrastructure, all the project work, maintenance, compliance, basically all the facilities and infrastructure.
Have you always had an interest in horses and horse racing growing up? Or is it something new to you since having a job at York Racecourse?
I have always had a keen interest in sport in general. Racing I do remember watching with my grandad and my dad on channel 4 and my dad would put a bet on the racing and I remember waiting outside the bookies on King Cross high street in Halifax then watching in the pub and most likely watching his bets lose. I have got an interest in horses in terms of a sport.
Living at the stables in York it’s a massive honour. You see the horses which are absolutely incredible they get looked after so well and its great to see them on the track. So I look at it as a sport the horses are like athletes, well groomed well trained athletes, they enjoy racing. That’s how I watch it like you would watch the Olympics and watch an athlete, that’s how I look at horse racing it’s been trained to do that job and performs it well.
I can imagine a race day at the course can be quite busy with an air of excitement and anticipation from the punters, in your role how do you prepare for a race day?
My day normally starts at 5am ish, getting all the buildings all the facilities ready, its full on and you really get a buzz putting on a show. People have paid good money and worked hard for a good day out so they’re coming to enjoy themselves and that means a lot. I have been to York Racecourse myself for birthday celebrations or stag do’s so I have been there myself so I know that buzz I know what it’s like so I enjoy putting on that show for people to attend and enjoy.
One thing I would say is that I watch the race goers walking down Racecourse Road and that for me is like that Wembley Way moment with football you get that buzz you can see the smiles on their faces especially when the suns out they are ready to have a good day out. They are all dressed up with their new clobber, it’s great to see and it’s nice to have that opportunity to put on a good day out for everyone.
Living on the grounds of the race course at the stables must be pretty special, I know a lot of people who like horses would love to know what that has been like?
The main thing for me is it’s a fantastic place to bring your family up. I feel so lucky that me, my wife Penelope and my children can enjoy this environment it’s a special environment. The kids walk to school they are out on their bikes playing on the Knavesmire playing with their friends it’s a real special place. Also the staff the people its so friendly whether it be on a race day non-race day it’s a real special place to live, to work and the buildings, everything its just a real special environment.
Since moving to York what do you like about the city the most, is there anything particularly unique about the city that stands out to you?
Theres really nice genuine people we have been really fortunate through work and sport. I play football myself, the kids play football, we have got a real solid group of friend and I am lucky I can call them that. I would say for me it is York. Moving over here I thought I have mates in Halifax and they are mates for life so to move over here and have proper real true friends whether that’s for myself, my wife Penelope, the kids I would say that is the main thing for me that stands out with York just true genuine nice people.
What other events and uses does the race course have throughout the year other than horse racing?
We have a beer festival in September which is my favourite event for obvious reasons. We have exhibitions, conferences and events throughout the year. My view on that is that we need to really work building assets, we have 17 race days this year so when we are not racing we need to be busy with events. For example, today we had a 300 plus dinner in the Knavesmire building so its constant throughout busy as well as doing all the project work, maintenance and compliance so it’s always fast paced.
I have seen the racecourse has had its fair share of live music events, as well as famous faces in the stands and well known jockeys what stand out experiences have you had?
The most stand out experience I had was when it was music Saturday and we had Olly Murs performing. There were roughly 45 thousand people through the gates that’s more than Elland Road more than Hillsborough as far as sporting venues go it’s the biggest attendance in Yorkshire. That was a full on busy day it was fantastic and the sun was out. I would say as experiences go with the volume of people and the buzz when Olly was on the stage it was phenomenal. Great to be part of a cracking show and just to see the smiles on peoples faces after a good day of racing and dancing and having a good time it was an experience I struggle to put in to words.
As we speak the Dante festival is approaching next week from Wednesday 15th to Friday 17th of May, what are race goers to expect of the start of the new season and what do they have to look forward to coming up later in the year?
We have the best horses in the world visiting York Racecourse. In my view we have one of the best tracks if not the best track in the world. So my job is to make sure the facilities are best in the world. Big statement I know, but If we are not going to aspire to be the best then why are we doing it? I like to think sometimes from Yorkshire you’re a bit of an ‘underdog’ and I quite like that. You may have other tracks whether its in the UK or Europe who work with bigger budgets than us but I pride myself on that our facilities are the best. We do a good honest job and I would expect that the facilities will be in outstanding condition. When people visit York they will have a cracking day out.
Is there anything personally you are looking forward to in the calendar? Any projects you and the team are working on?
We are just finishing the southern end development which we started last October it’s a phased approach and we are opening the first phase for the Dante festival. The rest of the site for hopefully mid-July for the John Smiths meeting. It will be all open ready for the Ebor festival. The buildings are looking fantastic we have a great design team on it we will be ready to welcome race goers and I am immensely proud of what the team have done with that they have done a cracking job over the winter. We were hit by a number of storms throughout the winter so what we have achieved in such a small period of time has been outstanding and everyone who has worked on that its credit to them.
I’m lucky because I get really involved with the design team with the architects drawings and layouts suggesting, what about this, what about that, so I develop ideas from the concept stage then lucky enough to see a race-goer enjoy that experience having a drink in a new bar sitting on a nice lawn eating fish & chips. Theres a hell of a lot to look forward to. The Southern End project, I call it a project for the working class.
The entry is roughly £20 quid so it’s a reasonable price to come and have a really good day, good racing, a nice drink and something to eat and its done right. What I try to implement at the race course or deliver I think what would I want? For me I don’t want to queue for the toilet, I don’t want to queue to put a bet on, I don’t want to queue to have a pint and I want something proper to eat. If you tick those boxes and I want to watch good racing whether its watching it on the screen or going down to the track and be able to sit down. It’s quite basic and if you can tick all those boxes then you have had a good day out in my view. So I would like to think that delivering the southern end project is happy days for customers.
And finally, what makes you proud to be from Yorkshire?
I think for me it’s that Yorkshire grit you have it in your veins and its hard to describe really. Yorkshire grit, Yorkshire determination. The one thing I say from been back in Halifax the one thing I now miss is the hills. Those hills it is like they tell stories and that is what makes me proud. Remembering now as a kid, kind of like yourself Toby doing your postie round your up and down those hills and I had a newspaper round in Siddal and everyone said that’s a long paper round but bloody hell I had a long one. Up & down those hills right up to Cinderhills, Southowram and you get the views from up there.
There is something about those hills whether its they tell stories I don’t know but you have got it in your veins. It’s the people it’s the determination, to do right, to do things proper and also to be sound with everyone and I think sometimes people lose that now, just to be right with people. And that’s what makes me proud to be from Yorkshire to work hard and want for nowt. All I want is for my kids to be happy and my family to be happy and that’s it and to be right with people. That’s what makes me proud I don’t ask for much and I don’t want for owt as long as stuffs right, jobs a good’n.
