Speaker Series: Hailey Shiffer, Trainer, HS Racehorses
Hailey graduated from the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program in 2022. Following graduation, she served as Assistant Manager at Rillito Park before moving to Oregon to work as an Assistant Trainer for Jim Gilmour.
Although training wasn’t the career path, she initially envisioned, her time as an assistant helped her gain valuable experience, eventually leading her to campaign her first runner, Lilly Pad Lake. Today, she operates her own stable, HS Racehorses, and celebrated her first win with her horse, Corn Pop, at the Tillamook County Fair Races in August. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand her program and add more horses to her barn.
As a newcomer and a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, Hailey has worked hard to prove herself. She approaches training with flexibility, listens to advice, and continues to develop her own program with confidence and determination.
Her advice to current and future RTIP students is to always keep an open mind. She highlighted the Racing Office and Racing Laws courses as particularly valuable not only for trainers, but for anyone pursuing a career in the horse racing industry.