Manchester City TV presenter Natalie Pike is pushing for greater inclusion in horse racing.
After retiring from modeling, the trailblazer went on to a successful career as a radio, television and live event host. For the past 13 years, he has regularly presented live matches for Premier League champions Manchester City.
She also works in horse racing and was part of the RacedayTV team at the Cheltenham Festival in March. On Saturday, it will host a Women’s Day event at Doncaster Racecourse during Virgin Bet Race Day.
The day will provide a platform to celebrate women in horse racing. This is the latest in the bookmaker’s social impact initiatives, which aim to create an inclusive environment.
Pike will moderate a panel discussion featuring female racing pioneers.
“It’s not ladies Day, it’s Women’s Day,” she said. “So it’s important to be inclusive and diverse and invite everyone to the races. I’ve really felt that since I started working in racing the past few years.
“It’s also about giving a platform and promoting and raising awareness of the amazing women who work in racing, not just the runners but the coaches and all the women who work behind the scenes.
“I love talking to women from different backgrounds and learning about their journeys and the challenges they face.
“Horse racing is for everyone. You don’t need a lot of knowledge about sports. “I don’t know the details, but I still love the sport.”
Pike said working in the world of racing was a different experience than when she first entered the world of football.
“From the very first time I worked at the circuit, I felt welcomed and accepted when talking to the athletes and riders,” she said.
“Honestly, when I started playing football 12 years ago, there was misogyny and sexism and I always felt like I had to prove myself, but I never felt that in riding.
“People don’t care where you come from, what you know, or why you’re there. If you like sports and want to participate in sports, that’s fine.”
Pike has had a successful modeling career spanning five years and appeared as a presenter on ITV’s The Price Is Right, but has been a regular at the Etihad Stadium since 2011.
He has also worked for the BBC and presented the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast with Sam Allardyce. “I think my story is different than people’s stories in the news right now,” she explained.
“I worked as a full-time model in my late 20s and early 30s and then retired from the modeling industry. I loved it, had a great time and traveled the world, but the pressure wasn’t for me. I had to call my agent every week and tell him how much I weighed. “It was too much.”
Pike found work at the Christie Cancer Hospital in Manchester, where he worked as part of the fundraising team before working in the fan zone at Manchester City, the club he has supported since childhood.
“It wasn’t what I dreamed,” she said. “Several women have worked in football and it took them eight or nine years to feel confident that they could do it as a full-time professional.
“My first season was the first time Manchester City won the Premier League.”Pike will host two talks with former jockey Sammy Jo Bell, Charlotte Russell, managing director of Go Racing In Yorkshire, and Sophie Green, track manager trainer at Doncaster Racecourse.
In another session on creative inclusion in racing, panelists include Rachel Harwood, CEO of Doncaster, Dawn Goodfellow, CEO of Racing Welfare and Emma Kay, founder of the WalkSafe app.
This event is open to everyone and is part of Virgin Bet’s new purpose, Better Bet campaign. It focuses on how the brand breaks down the barriers between sport and culture.
