Nick

"The internet has progressed a long way since then and I have tried to include some of the latest tools and methods into Mike's site."

Mike and Nick have known each other for roughly 10 years with the latter acting as Mike's agent since 2004, sourcing him into numerous corporate hospitality and commercial opportunties. In fact, when Mike is not available, Nick on occasion steps in as the guest speaker for clients' corporate hospitality horse racing needs. The idea for the site started in July 2009 when Mike invited Nick to "have a chat about my new website over a cup of coffee"........a lot of planning, package selection, design and testing has ensued since.

"The key to any site is good preparation, navigation, content and good software and our membership software is the best out there. Mike is a dream client, he lets me get on with it and gives me a good steer on what he wants."  

Nick riding work in Spain, 1995.

Intially raised in Latin America and then France (with UK schooling), Nick's sire is GB with ESP on the dam's side, making him tri-lingual in English, French & Spanish. He graduated in Economics & Accounting from the University of Kent in 1989.

Since 1996, he has implemented and project managed IT projects in the supply-chain software field specifically around J.D.Edwards software. He specialises in the JDE Distribution modules namely: sales, inventory, purchasing, pricing, EDI, transportation, intrastat and tax and has done this successfully for 39 clients in 10 countries to date. Typical projects involve anywhere between a core team of 15-80 people, budgets of £2-20m and project lifespans of between 6-18 months.

"The same principles have applied to putting together Mike's site and it has helped enormously drawing from associated skills in that arena, together with my deep knowledge of the racing industry....I'm raring to go and do another!" 

Passionate about horse racing ever since he first saw Lester Piggott in 1975, he has worked in several different areas in racing over the last 20 years. Starting off as the youngest jockey's agent in Europe at the age of 21, he was regularily booking jockeys such as Pat Eddery, John Reid, Cash Asmussen and Alan Munro to ride for Spanish owners & trainers.

Nick was initially the Spain correspondent for the International Racing Bureau throughout the 1990's, combining that role with his main job in investment banking. He has worked in journalism, racing photography and as a mentor/agent to jockeys and ridden racehorses in addition to promoting various areas of the sport through JockeysRoom.com. Whilst in Spain, he was instrumental in bringing jockey Oscar Urbina to the UK culminating with a Group 1 win with Soviet Song.

In that era he was also the only scribe to write on racing in English and Spanish publications. They have included contributions to the Racing Post, Sporting Life, Pacemaker, Racing World video, Ireland's Equestrian, Recta Final, A Galopar, BBC World service and At The Races tv.

An international racing addict, Nick estimates he has watched circa 70,000 races to date and has attended top meetings at 56 racecourses spread across the UK, Ireland, France, USA, Spain, Germany, Mexico and Brazil. As a writer and photographer he has covered some of the top international meetings such as the Grand National, Breeders' Cup (witnessing the great Arazi), the Epsom Derby, the Arc de Triomphe, Saratoga, the English & Irish 1,000 & 2,000 Guineas.

In the UK, he ranks Goodwood as his top track alongside Spain's Hipódromo de La Zarzuela (Madrid) and Hipódromo de Lasarte (San Sebastian). He also dreams of returning to Brazil's Hipódromo de Gavea in Rio de Janeiro and thoroughly recommends watching the "Brazil 2008" video in the Catt The Races TV section of the site.

"The quality of the video is so good, it's so vibrant that you feel you are right there. There is something mystical about Brazilian racing, a mix of the modern with the old traditional style; the architecture and setting of the stands is captivating."

Founded by Nick Higgins

He rates Cash Asmussen as his favourite jockey..."because I was as tall (5ft 10") as him so could model myself on his style....plus he was very unique as a person." Indeed one day, he would like to write a book entitled, "The top 10 jockeys - ever" where amongst the stories include the time when he had to translate for Lester Piggott in a stewards' enquiry in Spain!

Hopes for the future?......."Short-term....for this site to prosper for Mike...he deserves it."

Longer-term......"to carry on producing quality work, for interesting clients, hopefully with a horse racing angle to them if possible."

Racing ambitions...."Hopefully, this site will open up some options. I enjoyed interviewing Mike for the site. I would like to be involved in more of that and perhaps doing a racing review show in Spanish, French or Portugese broadcast on the web....there is one obvious website candidate in mind! They only need to ask!"

Summary of services available to clients:

• IT - project management, website concept & design, J.D.Edwards software.
• Horse racing - commercial agent, jockeys agent, guest speaker, host, racing analyst, interviewer, photographer, international racing.
• Contact: +44 (0) 7796 99 68 99