Nominations open for Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards

Nominations have opened for the new-look Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards 2023, sponsored by Godolphin.

The awards, formerly known as the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards, are an opportunity for employees from across the various areas of the thoroughbred industry, be it in training yards, studs or in administrative roles, to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication to the sport.

For 18 years, the awards have provided unforgettable moments for individuals and organisations, with last year’s Employee of the Year Paddy Trainor having spoken openly about what winning meant to him.

Having celebrated during the virtual ceremony with his Johnston Racing colleagues, he told the Racing Post: “It means so much to me and my family. Racing is my life.”

The opportunity for such recognition is available to all who work the thoroughbred across all stages of their life through the new-look Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, with nominations open until 8 November.

Sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in association with the Racing Post and Racing TV, the 2023 Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards will carry prize-money totalling £128,500, with as much as £30,000 available to a single organisation.

Following two years of virtual ceremonies, screened live by Racing TV, an in-person awards ceremony will return in 2023, with details of this event to be confirmed in due course.

Nominations can be made online by anyone, simply by visiting the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards website at thoroughbredawards.co.uk

Video submissions will once again be accepted in advance of the 2023 awards, ensuring that the nominations procedure is as fair as possible for all those involved, irrespective of their level of written communication and language skills.

The 2023 Judging Panel will be Chaired by broadcaster Nick Luck, who did so for the first time in 2021 having taken over from Brough Scott. As is traditional, the panel will feature the previous year’s Employee of the Year, Paddy Trainor.

Julie Harrington, CEO of the BHA, said: “One of the great joys I have experienced since joining the BHA has been working with Godolphin formerly on the Stud & Stable Staff Awards and now the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards. Having the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the people who work so hard to ensure our equine stars are properly cared for is a thrill and we should all relish the chance provided by the awards to say ‘thank you’.

“These new-look awards, which are made possible by the generosity of Godolphin, now provide the opportunity for a wider range of industry employees, across the full life cycle of the thoroughbred, to achieve this recognition. I would encourage everybody in our industry to nominate colleagues they would like to see celebrated.”

Hugh Anderson, Managing Director at Godolphin (UK and Dubai), said: "The racing and breeding industries are very fortunate to have such devoted, hardworking people who without a doubt keep our wonderful sport going. There are many different roles in the industry, all as important as each other, and I am confident that the new, all-encompassing Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards will see nominations for a wide range of people and another truly outstanding group.

"Godolphin is delighted to continue to sponsor these awards and I look forward to celebrating the achievements of these wonderful employees in person once again."

Nick Luck, Chair of the Judging Panel, said: “For many years, some of racing’s most vital and dedicated individuals have been rightly celebrated by the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards and I am excited that this opportunity to reward excellence is being expanded by the new Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

“So many people, in so many various roles, play key roles in ensuring the sport we love takes place day in, day out. On top of this, they ensure that racing is a vibrant part of local communities up and down the land and I look forward to meeting what I am sure will be a stellar cast of nominees once again in the coming months.”