Sporting layers of warm clothes, toques, and hand warmers, Jason Moore and Aaron Skilton have been braving the cold four-nights-a-week operating cameras at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Both Moore and Skilton spend the Thoroughbred season, April to December, working inside the control room at Woodbine Racetrack and the winters at Woodbine Mohawk Park capturing Standardbred racing.
“There’s a huge difference between our more technical full-time jobs at Woodbine and operating cameras here at Mohawk, but I enjoy the change of pace,” said Moore, who started at Woodbine Entertainment in 2008, and has since progressed into a more senior role.
“I remember one of my first shifts, I was stationed in a camera tower at Woodbine, and I couldn’t figure out why my camera wasn’t working. As my colleague was climbing up the tower to help, I realized the lens cap was still on,” Moore said, laughing. “I quickly took it off and told him I didn’t know how I fixed it!
“I have a lot of great memories over the years at Woodbine, from meeting my wife to getting the chance to meet some pretty cool athletes, like Curtis Joseph.”
Skilton, a life-long horse racing fan, has been working at Woodbine for about a year and a half. His favourite race day is the Pepsi North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
“I’ve been going to the track since I could walk,” said Skilton. “Growing up, I spent a lot of time at Hanover Raceway and Georgian Downs.”
With an education in broadcasting, Skilton found his way to the Woodbine broadcast department through working for Cujo Entertainment, a company that produces programming and graphics to accompany horse racing throughout North America.
“I assisted in integrating the new graphics package that Cujo worked on for Woodbine. That and the technical directing I’ve done on other racing-related productions, including the O’Brien Awards and CBS Hambletonian show, led me to my position at Woodbine,” Skilton shared.
From the control room to the racetrack, both Moore and Skilton enjoy the versatility of working in broadcast.
“We need to know every camera position and technical role so that if something goes wrong, we can step in.
“My favourite part of this job is that every day is different,” Skilton added.
Moore continued, “Our team is really adaptable, and we work together well. Whenever I talk to someone who has moved on from Woodbine, they always say the comradery is the thing they miss the most.”
Skilton and Moore’s advice to those interested in working as part of a horse racing broadcast team?
Skilton: “Come in wanting to learn. A lot of us really enjoy sharing our skills and helping people.”
Moore: “Be good to work with. Keep a team mentality and be open to feedback.”
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