Caity Hillier could have understandably talked about how personally fulfilling her new role is, but that was far from her first thought.

“I think it’s really important, not just for our sport, but sports in general, that we have women in front of the camera,” said Hillier, the new Racing Analyst on Hanover Raceway broadcasts. “I’m always very happy when I see women in horse racing in those roles, to see women get more exposure, and to have the chance to share their knowledge and insight of the sport.”

A Hanover native, Hillier, who has worked in the racetrack’s Simulcasting and Raceway Operations departments, was momentarily taken aback when Steve Fitzsimmons, General Manager with the Raceway, came to her with the idea of the broadcast role.

It didn’t take long for her to accept the offer.

“I’m so grateful that Steve thought of me and has given me this opportunity. To have the chance to see racing from this view is something I’m really appreciative of. The moment Steve – who I’ve known for a number of years – spoke with me about the job, I felt that rush of excitement. I see it as this new adventure that I’m going on. I don’t come from a horse racing background, but I’ve always liked the sport. Steve and I talked a lot and he felt I had the personality to be on air. I’m very grateful he thought that highly of me.”

Hillier works alongside Tony Elliott, whose horse racing roles include broadcaster/analyst at Hanover, and assistant general manager duties at Clinton Raceway. Their first show of the 2021 season was on June 12.

While there were some expected pre-broadcast jitters for Hillier, the 20-year-old recalled some reassuring words imparted to her in the days leading up to her milestone appearance.

“I think first and foremost, the advice that has stuck with me was what Steve told me. He said, ‘Don’t overthink it.’ If you psyche yourself out and get worried about saying the wrong thing, if you think you’re going to trip over your words – I can’t be preoccupied with that. You don’t want to doubt yourself. I think for me, it’s in knowing that I’ve done the work ahead of the show, and that I feel comfortable talking about each race.”

The person people see on the broadcast is the same one out of the cameras’ view, offered Hillier.

“You need to be genuine as well. You don’t want to come off as someone you are not by creating a persona. People have shared that with me too and I always remind myself of it before we begin the broadcast.”

If the amount and similar tone of the text and phone messages Hillier received before and after her first show is indicative of how she’s regarded, she has plenty of reason to smile.

“The horsepeople at Hanover are amazing. They’ve all been very kind to me. When Steve made the announcement, I received a lot of messages. After the first show, a lot of people reached out and congratulated me. It was really nice to be so welcomed. It was a big step for me, but when you have all of that support, it really does make a difference.”

Studying programs and regular prep work in the lead-up to each broadcast is now the norm for Hillier.

“You have to make sure you’ve done all of that research so that you can go on air feeling confident. I don’t think anyone can ever escape homework, but I’m not complaining. With this role, I love all of it.

“I really do. There’s so much to like about it. One of things I’m most looking forward to is getting to know more people at the racetrack, to find out more about their stories and their passion for racing. I’ve always been a people person, so the opportunity to connect with new people is something that resonates with me.”

Just as encouraging other women and others to step into the horse racing spotlight does.

“Any time we can see more women and young people in front of the camera, it is something that is great for our sport and something we can all be proud of.”

(Ontario Racing)