By Julieanne Horsman
Young Kembla Grange trainer Mitch Beer is as well-known for his sharp wit, hot takes, and self-deprecating humour as he is for his success on the track. Now, the industry is also taking notice of his of new training partner, George Carpenter, 27, after the pair produced a stellar maiden year.
The 2025/2026 season saw Beer Carpenter Racing celebrate 60 individual winners, earn prizemoney in excess of $2 million, and claim both the local and overall trainers’ premierships at Kembla Grange Racecourse.
“This time last year we set ourselves a target of 50 winners and to surpass that is satisfying,” Carpenter said. “I am very proud of the whole team and hope we can do it again next season!”
He grew up on a property and inherited his mother’s love of horses, participating in Pony Club until he was seven. Riding took a back seat to other priorities for the best part of a decade until a school friendship with Nathan Kendrick, son of prominent trainer Stuart, reignited his interest. They spent time around the stables and went to the races together and eventually Carpenter began picking up casual work within the business.
Around the same time Carpenter launched his own business, Sunshine Coast Pulse Therapy. He had suffered a knee injury in a motorbike accident and was impressed by the way pulsed electro-magnetic field therapy sped up his recovery so when he discovered it could also be used on horses, he got a loan, bought himself a machine, and quickly built up a client base.
In 2021 Carpenter relocated to Brisbane and took up a more senior role at Matt Hoysted’s Eagle Farm stables. He spent a year there further developing his knowledge and skills before moving to Peachester Lodge where he learnt to ride trackwork and break in horses.
For four years Carpenter juggled equine pulse therapy with his racing stable work. Visiting different trainers gave him invaluable insights into a broad range of problems and fixes. He watched, listened, and asked questions and by early 2024 he felt ready to train.
“I knew I would always have the ability to earn a wage if I needed to, so I figured I had nothing to lose,” Carpenter said. “I was going to sink or swim, and I decided the only way to find out was to jump in.”
He started with two horses – Spirit Of Heath and I Am Lethal. The latter delivered Carpenter his first win at Rockhampton in July 2024. But the reality of building a stable from scratch soon hit.
“Attracting owners was one of the biggest challenges I faced,” he said. “I was lucky to have one great owner who would buy horses and retain half while I tried to sell the remaining half. My family and friends were very supportive but once I got to four or five horses I needed a deeper pool of owners.”
Carpenter could see that partnerships were becoming more common and believed that joining forces with the right person would accelerate his progress. His former boss and mentor Matt Hoysted mentioned Mitch Beer was looking for an assistant trainer, so Carpenter picked up the phone. The rest they say is history.
Beer and Carpenter worked well from the outset. Their professional connection developed into a solid friendship which is lucky because they worked, lived, and socialised together. Carpenter has even acquired Beer’s taste for Pepsi Max.
“We could be trainers in our own right but it’s better to work together and share the load,” Carpenter said. “It’s also more fun. Mitch is good at making sure the team appreciates and enjoys the moment.”
They complement each other too with their contrasting strengths one of the partnership’s greatest assets. Beer is a skilled businessperson with loads of contacts who easily connects with people while Carpenter is a natural horseman. He is at his best in hands-on roles including riding trackwork. Like horses, they also have different temperaments, and Beer has been a steadying influence on Carpenter.
“I’m an over-thinker and an over-analyser,” Carpenter admits. “When I was training by myself, I would worry about things that *could* happen but Mitch is not the type of person to stress and even if he is he doesn’t show it. He just says mate, relax.”
Beer is just as quick to praise his training partner.
“He was exactly where I was at his age,” Beer said. “He has a passion for racing and is so eager to learn and become more involved and that’s exactly the type of person you want on your team. He has a strong work ethic, is easy to get along with, and importantly we have mutual respect.”
The racing industry almost missed out on Carpenter’s talent. In a case of nominative determinism, George initially pursued a carpentry apprenticeship when he graduated from high school before his passion for horses took him in another direction.
Apart from winning races, what does a successful 2026/2027 season look like for Beer Carpenter Racing? “We haven’t had that discussion yet, but you always want to do better than the year before,” Carpenter said. “Providing a good environment for horses and staff is important too. There will be plenty of trips to the beach.”
Although retired from racing, Carpenter’s heart horse, I Am Lethal, remains part of the team and acts as a pony for nervous or wayward horses. He is also forging a new career in dressage and will compete at Equimillion in October with local trackwork rider, Sophie Foerstner.
This story was first published in the September issue of Racing NSW Magazine.