Nominations open this Saturday, 8 July 2017, for the 2018 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards, it has been announced today. The awards, now in their 14th year, recognise and reward the outstanding skills, commitment and contribution of racing’s 6,000 stud and stable staff.
The awards, sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in association with the Racing Post, offer more than £120,000 in prize money, with up to £40,000 available to a single yard or stud.
The opening of the nomination window this Saturday has been timed to coincide with the final day of Racing Staff Week 2017, a cross-industry initiative developed by Racing Welfare which will applaud and highlight the role of all racing staff. Nominations will close on Tuesday 21 November 2017.
Click below to view the Godolphin Stud and Stable Awards 2018 promo video:
Hugh Anderson, Managing Director of Godolphin (UK and Dubai), said: “On behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Godolphin is again delighted to sponsor these prestigious awards. They have become a highlight of the racing calendar and reward those dedicated, hard-working people who are the backbone of our industry.”
As well as recognising and rewarding stud and stable staff, the awards are an advertisement for racing as a great place to work and an industry that looks after its horses and its people. The ‘Rory MacDonald Community Award’ recognises the contribution from stud and stable staff to benefit the wider community. To find out more about Racing’s work in the community visit our Racing Together webpage.
Dawn Goodfellow, Chief Executive of Racing Welfare and a member of the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards judging panel, said: “Launching nominations for the 2018 awards will be a fitting end to Racing Staff Week, which seeks to celebrate the passion, skill and dedication required to work with racehorses.
“As a judge for the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards, seeing the hard work and dedication of our staff through the nomination process is always inspiring.
“The quality of entries goes up every year and I’m sure 2018 will be no exception.”
The winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award will once again will benefit from a five-day educational trip to Dubai to learn more about the country’s racing, culture and custom. The prize includes return flights and five nights’ accommodation in a five-star hotel and is in addition to the £2,000 prize money for the winner and £2,000 for their yard, courtesy of Godolphin.
Last year’s winner of the Employee of The Year Award, Terry Doherty, said: “I truly believe these awards are the biggest thank you to all those people who have a passion for horses within our industry.
“It is this passion that drives them to work as hard as they all do. It is not the hardest thing in the world to nominate someone you feel deserves it but by doing so it could mean everything in the world to them.”
Nominations are now open for owners, trainers, breeders, colleagues and managers to show their appreciation for hard-working members of staff.
The nomination process is very simple and is available to trainers online via the Racing Administration website. Nominations can also be completed or downloaded via www.studandstablestaffawards.co.uk and www.racingpost.com.
Notes to editors:
1. The categories are: Leadership Award, Dedication Award, Rider/Groom Award, Stud Staff, Rory MacDonald Community Award and David Nicholson Newcomer Award (n.b. the David Nicholson Newcomer Award is for people who entered racing within the last three years).
2. The ‘Rory MacDonald Community Award’ acknowledges those who support the stud and stable staff or have made an outstanding contribution to benefit the wider racing community. The Awards provide an opportunity for the racing industry to highlight and thank the hard work put in by stud and stable staff across the country, and this award in particular acknowledges people who have had a positive impact on their community.
3. The winner of each of the first four categories will receive a prize of £5,000 with an additional £5,000 also being awarded to the winner’s yard or stud. Two runners-up in each of these categories will win £2,000 each, with the same amount going to their yard or stud.
The winner of the Rory MacDonald Community Award will receive £5,000, with the same going to a charity of their choice. The two runners-up will receive £2,000, with the same going to a charity of their choice.
The winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award will receive £2,000, with the same amount going to their yard or stud, while two runners-up will receive £1,000 each, with the same amount for their yard. There is an additional prize for the winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award, which includes return flights, a five day educational tour of Dubai together with five nights’ accommodation in a five-star hotel.
The Awards will also recognise an Employee of the Year, who will be selected from the winners of the first four categories. That winner will receive an additional prize of £15,000, with the same amount going to their yard or stud.
