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| profiles |
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| Shannon
Melton -
Personal
Assistant (Racing Stable) |
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| Currently
completing: |
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| 2
year New Zealand Equine Stable Management Course |
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| Qualification: |
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| National
Certificate in Equine - Stable Management. |
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How would you like to work for one of New Zealands most
prominent young trainers? Well according to Shannon Melton
who is Personal Assistant for Mark Walker "It is
a pretty good job" and it must be as she's been working
for Te Akau Stables for approximately 11 years, and currently
is more than happy to stay there. |
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| Shannon
Marie Melton was born in August 1976. As the daughter
of Dean and Jan-Marie Melton whose family business, based
in Matamata is breaking in, pre training and training
a few horses she was destined to work with horses. In
addition to growing up helping on the farm with the racehorses,
Shannon also spent a couple of years riding ponies and
competing at A&P Shows. As Shannon says "Basically
it was in my blood to become a horse person and become
involved in the industry. |
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many involved in the racing industry Shannon had aspired
to become a jockey but weight was probably going to be
a problem and her family were not at all keen to encourage
her down that path. However riding track work was an essential
part of her job when she left school so she concentrated
on educating young horses and even teaching the odd one
to jump. "I even thought of being a bloodstock agent
at one stage" she adds. |
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| Shannon
has had a varied career to date which has given her a
good cross section of experience. "I worked for my
parents for a couple of years where I learnt the trade
before doing a 3 month stint in Japan, which was an eye
opener. I then worked for Richard Dee for a short period
where I broke in half a dozen horses for him before going
to work for Stephen Autridge at Te Akau Racing Stables
where I worked for many years, including taking Te Akau
Joke to Australia which was a great learning experience
as they do things a bit different in Australia. When Mark
Walker took over Te Akau I stayed on here to be travelling
foreman. I then took a brief break when I worked for the
Matamata Racing club doing track maintenance and then
in the office there doing the track fee accounts, these
days I ride track work in the mornings and work as Marks
Personal Assistant in the afternoons. |
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spite of having left school with no major qualifications
Shannon has lived up to her beliefs as stated above by
continuing to learn and furthering her education. To prove
this she learnt how to use the computer properly a couple
of years ago and is currently studying to get her National
Certificate in Equine - Stable Management. This 2 year
course includes meeting monthly on a Friday afternoon
and completing projects by correspondence. Based upon
the list of things that Shannon tells us she is required
to do as Mark Walkers Personal Assistant it is clear that
the Stable Management course is ideally suited to assist
her to fulfill this role. She says she has "learnt
a lot as the course covers every thing from the horses
hoof to filling out an accident report for OSH."
Shannon has almost completed her course and will be the
first to do so in her group. |
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| Role
models and mentors frequently play an extremely important
role in a persons development. Who better could a young
racing lady chose as a role model than "Gai Waterhouse"
and the reason's Shannon gave are "she is a very
successful trainer a great horse person with a great eye
for a horse, business women, just a lovely person with
a sense of humour and fashionable!" With her National
Certificate in Equine - Stable Management and a role model
like Gai Waterhouse we are bound to see this young lady
involved in racing circles for a long time. |
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| Shannon
biggest joys in her chosen profession come from some great
people she meets and associates with in racing and simply
seeing the horses she works with doing well at the races.
She says 'that's why we get up so early in the morning".
The highlight of her career has come quite recently through
being associated with King's Chapel. "He is a great
horse, riding him track work is a pleasure, and watching
him win even greater. Definitely the best horse I have
ever ridden and I have been riding trackwork for about
15 years" said Shannon. |
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