Heather Downey
Committee Member

Heather is from Co.Meath, and has been surrounded by horses her whole life at her family’s training and bloodstock operation, Knowth Stables just outside Slane.

With a degree in business studies, her career in the industry began leading the marketing at The Curragh Racecourse during for the 2021 Flat Season, she then transitioned into a youth marketing role within Horse Racing Ireland and Equuip, moving on to working on other projects within the HRI Marketing team across digital, brand and ESG during her time in HRI centrally.

Since the beginning of 2025, Heather is now leading the marketing at Fairyhouse Racecourse and Navan Racecourse, two of her local tracks and two of Ireland’s premier racecourses. She also assists her father Pat Downey in their training operation at home as much as she can, and training is a particular passion of hers. She is hugely interested in all aspects of the industry from training, breeding and bloodstock sales to business, marketing and media.

In 2025, Heather was selected as one of Sport For Business PwC ‘30 under 30’.