NEW HEAD GROUNDSMAN APPOINTED
ANDREW LANDS RACECOURSE GROUNDSMAN POST
AYR Racecourse has appointed Andrew Jackson as Head Groundsman succeeding Phil Stephenson who left the post in May to pursue other interests.
Andrew, 49, has been Assistant Head Groundsman at Ayr since August 2004 and for the last four months has been Acting Head Groundsman.
He started working with trainer Ronnie O'Leary in his home village of Great Habton, North Yorkshire before joining Ian Balding at his Kingsclere stables to work on the turf gallops.
Andrew stayed there for 10 years before landing a job on the ground staff of the Jockey Club Estates at Newmarket and after three years came to Ayr in 2004.
Ayr Racecourse Clerk of the Course Katherine Self said :" Andrew and the team have done a great job and the course was in magnificent condition for the recent Gold Cup meeting. I am delighted he has been appointed Head Groundsman on a full time basis."
Andrew said : "I have enjoyed my time at Ayr and am looking forward to my new role. Its an exciting time for the course and I'm happy to take on the Head Groundsman role on a permanent basis."
And in his first week in the job Andrew issued an appeal to farmers and landowners for leylandii.
Andrew is keen to have the fences on the National Hunt course looking in great shape for the first meeting of the jumps season on Monday November 26.
He said : "Any farmer or anyone else for that matter who has leylandii or hedges.they don't want should simply give us a ring and we'll come and pick it up and set about sprucing up our fences. Ideally we are looking for branches between three and five feet long."
Anyone with leylandii to spare should contact Andrew on 01292-264179.
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