Nominees Announced for Irish Stud and Stable Staff Awards

The prize for these five categories is a trophy and €5,000 for the winner with an additional €4,000 to be divided among employees from the winner's yard, stud or company. The two runners-up will each receive €500. Each of the final nominees will be interviewed by the Irish Stud and Stable Staff Judging Committee.

The prize for these five categories is a trophy and €5,000 for the winner with an additional €4,000 to be divided among employees from the winner's yard, stud or company. The two runners-up will each receive €500. Each of the final nominees will be interviewed by the Irish Stud and Stable Staff Judging Committee.

The trophies, by sculptor Ani Mollereau, are a contemporary design of a thoroughbred horse representing the spirit of the horse racing industry.

Categories and short-listed nominees:

Administration Award 

Eileen Kavanagh - Office & Facilities Manager, Irish National Stud

Wendy Normile - Client Relations, Coolmore Stud

Dorothy Patterson - Office Administrator, Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE)

Stud Employee Award 

Carmel Bowden - Stud Groom, Jockey Hall Stud

Lyndsey McDonnell - Stud Groom, Derrinstown Stud

Richard Springate - Box Driver, Ragusa Stud

Head Lad/Girl or Travelling Head Lad/Girl Award 

Gerry Abbott - Head Lad, Charles O'Brien

Dermot Fagan - Head Lad, Lorna Fowler

Tom Gallagher - Headman, Dermot Weld

Rider/Groom Award 

Pat O'Donovan - Assistant Trainer, Jim Bolger

John Sullivan - Rider/Groom, John Larkin

Juli Vovchok - Rider/Groom, Edward Lynam

Leadership Award  

Gerard Donoher - Senior Supervisor, Kildangan Stud

Martin Horan - Head Lad, Ger Lyons

Brian O'Connor - General Manager, Jim Bolger

Other awards to be made include: Dedication to Racing, Lifelong Learning, Ancillary Services and Racecourse Grooms Canteen which will be announced at the awards ceremony next Tuesday in the Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge. The prize for each of these awards is one of the Mollereau trophies and €2,500.  

The overall winner of the Irish Racing Excellence Award will be selected from the winners of the five categories announced today. The winner will receive a trophy and a further €5,000, with an additional €5,000 to be divided among employees from the yard, stud or company.

The Irish Stable Staff Awards Judging Committee is made up of representatives of the Irish Stablestaff Association, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, the Turf Club and Horse Racing Ireland.

Chairman of the Judging Committee, Michael O'Rourke: "Every one of the hardworking stud and stable staff employees nominated deserves recognition and it was not an easy task for the committee to whittle it down to the top three in each of the five categories. The committee will now interview each of the finalists before undertaking the task of deciding the overall winners."