Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE

Monica Croston

Monica Croston is the 2006 winner of the GOTAFE "Outstanding Student of the Year"Award for the Wangaratta Campus. She is also the winner of the inaugural 2006 Thoroughbred Full-time Employee of the Year award from Racing Victoria and has an impressive resume of racing industry experience.

Monica started working part time while still at secondary school with show horses before progressing to race horses. She later worked as Travelling Foreman with leading Australian trainer, Gai Waterhouse where she cared for some of the top race horses in Australia.

In 2006 Monica had the opportunity to travel to Ireland and work for some of the industry's leading trainers, broadening her knowledge and experiences of training race horses. She is currently the foreman for Michael Kent at Cranbourne looking after 45 horses and eight staff.

Recently she mentored seven of the trainees at Michael Kent who were undertaking the Certificate III in Racing (Advanced Stablehand).
"Working at a racing stables is a seven day a week job but something I really love. I wasn't really interested in study as I thought I knew everything but I learnt lots of things," said Monica.

"The course is done at your own pace using workbooks, and the internet for some subjects, and I had regular visits from my teacher. Everything is so busy at the stables so it’s great that I didn’t have to travel to classes, it saves a lot of time."

Monica has her sights set on further study at the NCEE at diploma level and is also interested in equine massage therapy and mentor/coaching. "My aim is to train a group one horse – if I can train a horse of that calibre I would be very happy."

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Page updated on July 23, 2007 11:02 by Webmaster SK