The chances of Emily Johnson forging a career in the harness racing industry were high from the get-go.
The former Sacred Heart Girls’ College student explains.
“My Dad, Mike, is a professional punter so we were always at race days and trials and our family knew many people in the industry. I raced ponies as a kid and my brother Mark was a harness racing driver too.”
Off her own back, Emily had organised to work for Arna Donnelly Harness Racing, a professional harness racing stable in Cambridge, during weekends and school holidays.
When Emily was in Year 12, she had a conversation with Gateway Coordinator Alison Crean about her desire to get even more work experience under her belt. That led to Emily spending a day a week for two terms Arna Donnelly Harness Racing for her Gateway placement.
“I loved that. It wasn’t so much starting to get the experience but furthering what I already knew.”
Emily continued to drive and work for Arna for the rest of that year.
“I passed my Year 12 exams at the end of 2020 and two weeks later I was on the plane to Western Australia.”
A big move for a 17-year-old, Emily took the move in her stride as she took up a position at Aiden de Campo’s Four Diamonds Pacing in Capel, about 200km south of Perth. There she spent three years learning a lot with the prestigious stable.
Before Emily moved to Perth, she had been doing trackwork and was working towards gaining her trials license. Her aim was to drive in races and that dream was realised in 2021. She racked up an impressive 65 wins in Australia before she decided to move back home this year.
Emily now works with Sean McCaffrey who trains at Luk Chin’s property in Tamahere.
The talented driver explains that she has perhaps a couple more years on her junior licence.
“From there, you become a senior driver and that’s a lot harder. As a junior driver, you get concessions. The idea is you can drive better horses, and the horse doesn’t go up a grade if it wins. As a senior driver you lose that. You get to race by being good.”
Emily plans to keep driving and has considered becoming a trainer in the future.
And the ambitious 21-year-old has some advice for Sacred Heart students who are preparing to begin their careers and perhaps seek out work experience opportunities through Gateway.
“Put yourself out there and talk to people in the industry that interests you. Be prepared to start from the bottom. I know harness racing trainers like people who are keen. A lot of stable workers are there for the pay, but if you show real interest and work hard, you’ll be rewarded. That goes for any industry, really.”