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Race Caller

About

Race callers are employed to accurately describe the events before, during and after a race. A race caller is also required to make a number of on course announcements throughout the day.
  • pathways
    No specific training but industry experience in broadcasting favourable

    • pathways

      No specific training but industry experience in broadcasting favourable
  • profile
    Adam Olszanski - Race Caller

    For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be race caller. Following my father to the races every Saturday as a young kid, I quickly got the ‘racing bug’.

    In my early teens, I bought a good pair of binoculars, a stand and swivel to place them on, and would go to the races to ‘practise’. I would position myself in a quiet part of the grandstand and call the action into an old tape recorder, eventually progressing to a vacant broadcast box to refine my skills.

    After a couple years of doing this every Saturday, I got my first opportunity to call a race - at the Alexandra picnics. From there, the ball started rolling and for six years I worked the P.A. at as many picnic, non-tab and trials meetings as I could – even travelling to South Australia and Tasmania when opportunities arose.

    Along the way, I periodically sent demo tapes to the Program Director at Sport927 (now RSN) and this landed me my first telecast TAB meeting at Ouyen harness in early 2005. Shortly after, I took up the post as race caller in Alice Springs, gaining valuable weekly on-air radio exposure on the 4TAB network. Six months later, I was offered a full-time position at the newly formed TVN, where I worked as a race caller and on air presenter for 8 years. In September 2013, I transferred to Racing Victoria, who now manage all full-time thoroughbred callers in the state.

    About the Job:
    A race caller provides live commentary before, during and after a race to on course patrons, radio listeners and to a worldwide television audience. Excellent communication skills, including clear diction are fundamentals of a good race caller.

    At any given race meeting, race callers need to recall up to 150 horse names, and recognise their respective jockey’s silks instantly during a race. A deep understanding of all areas of the sport further enhances their commentary, as does the appropriate use of statistics and anecdotes. A sharp memory is imperative.

    Other responsibilities include promoting and stimulating wagering on upcoming race meetings by analysing the form and providing opinion based previews, either written or on air. Being on the front line, race callers are often the first to report breaking news from the track.

    • profile

      Adam Olszanski - Race Caller

      For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be race caller. Following my father to the races every Saturday as a young kid, I quickly got the ‘racing bug’.

      In my early teens, I bought a good pair of binoculars, a stand and swivel to place them on, and would go to the races to ‘practise’. I would position myself in a quiet part of the grandstand and call the action into an old tape recorder, eventually progressing to a vacant broadcast box to refine my skills.

      After a couple years of doing this every Saturday, I got my first opportunity to call a race - at the Alexandra picnics. From there, the ball started rolling and for six years I worked the P.A. at as many picnic, non-tab and trials meetings as I could – even travelling to South Australia and Tasmania when opportunities arose.

      Along the way, I periodically sent demo tapes to the Program Director at Sport927 (now RSN) and this landed me my first telecast TAB meeting at Ouyen harness in early 2005. Shortly after, I took up the post as race caller in Alice Springs, gaining valuable weekly on-air radio exposure on the 4TAB network. Six months later, I was offered a full-time position at the newly formed TVN, where I worked as a race caller and on air presenter for 8 years. In September 2013, I transferred to Racing Victoria, who now manage all full-time thoroughbred callers in the state.

      About the Job:
      A race caller provides live commentary before, during and after a race to on course patrons, radio listeners and to a worldwide television audience. Excellent communication skills, including clear diction are fundamentals of a good race caller.

      At any given race meeting, race callers need to recall up to 150 horse names, and recognise their respective jockey’s silks instantly during a race. A deep understanding of all areas of the sport further enhances their commentary, as does the appropriate use of statistics and anecdotes. A sharp memory is imperative.

      Other responsibilities include promoting and stimulating wagering on upcoming race meetings by analysing the form and providing opinion based previews, either written or on air. Being on the front line, race callers are often the first to report breaking news from the track.