I am a student of ATU Sligo’s Writing & Literature Degree and as part of my studies, I’ve spent the last two weeks completing a work placement with EquiRatings. I met a beautiful bunch of people and had a lot of fun. Here’s a little insight into how the team turns data into stories for the media:

Who are EquiRatings?

EquiRatings is a sports analyst company. They analyse data in equestrian sports and portray the results to the world through website articles, social media posts and podcasts. They measure and promote sport performance; combining data science, equestrian experience and storytelling.

What They Do

Coming from a writing programme, I was obliged to focus primarily on writing aspects of the company, however, as an eventing athlete and fan, it was also fascinating to see how some of the other parts work too. EquiRatings are so much more than just eventing. They have active social media pages, write news articles and blogs for websites and record podcasts. 

They have also created a game called Eventing Manager. It is a fantasy equestrian game where players can choose their own team from real competitors entered in real competitions. The aim is to choose the best team, within a virtual budget. 

EquiRatings works with and produces content, not only for themselves, but many other major brands and events. They have collaborated with the FEI (Fédération Équestre Internationale), WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival), USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) and ClipMyHorse.TV to name a few.

EquiRatings have two of their own podcast shows (EquiRatings Eventing Podcast & EquiRatings Jumping Podcast), as well as contributing to the USEA Podcast and The US Equestrian Open Podcast.

On top of all that, EquiRatings have developed a horse sales team that uses data to maximise clients’ chances of finding their ideal horse.

The Team

EquiRatings was founded by two Irishmen: Sam Watson and Diarm Byrne. Over the last decade, it has grown into a global company. The team works with many international businesses and organizations and has members working remotely from all over the world. 

The workplace environment at EquiRatings is a relaxed atmosphere. The working hours and schedules are flexible and accommodating. The team doesn't start work until 10 o’clock in the morning to allow for taking care of children and horses. 

Most of the time, work is done remotely, although they do have an office space in Dublin for times during the week that anyone wants to work together in person. Everyone is very welcoming, friendly and helpful. Creating a positive work culture is important to them. They have fun, but still get their work done. At the end of the day, they’re just normal people enjoying what they’re doing. 

‘Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’ - Mark Twain.

What I Did

I wrote some blog articles and got them published on the EquiRatings and US Equestrian Open websites. I was introduced to Canva, a graphic design tool, which allowed me to create blog covers for the articles. I experienced the process of distributing writing from editing to promotion on social media. I learned how important the first two lines are as clickbait to hook readers. Pictures and statistics tables are incorporated into articles to make them more aesthetically pleasing to viewers; and links to other articles, posts or podcasts are added to keep users interested.

I was also lucky enough to witness some podcast planning, recording and editing. And, I got a sneak peek at the EquiRatings data dashboard, where they archive all the results and statistics from the horses at competitions.

What I Learned

Business is all about connections, and building contacts and relationships. That could be connecting with customers, fans and audiences, but also connecting with other people and businesses.

I learned that posting schedules and timetabled release dates mean people know what to expect and are more likely to consume the content that is being put out. For example: releasing a podcast early in the morning gives commuters a chance to listen on their way to work.

I learned that when working with sponsors and brands, each client has their own brand logos, colours and fonts. When creating graphics, it’s important to personalise them.

Finally, probably the most important thing that I picked up on from my time spent with the EquiRatings team is how essential it is to protect the equine industry. Media should only be used for positive portrayal. Don’t make your negative opinions public. Everyone in horse sport is there because of their love for the animals. Everyone is trying their best.