Winners and finalists from the 2022 Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards were celebrated during an in-person ceremony Friday in Newmarket, having been honoured in a virtual event earlier this year.
The celebration began with a trophy presentation at Dalham Hall Stud on the outskirts of Newmarket hosted by Nick Lightfoot before the group was treated to a parade of some of the Darley stallions, including Masar, Cracksman and the legendary Dubawi. From there, the contingent made its way to the Rowley Mile for the first day of the Dubai Future Champions Festival.
The 2022 Employee of the Year award was given to Johnston Racing's Paddy Trainor, who said: “Today has been a very special day, having the chance to celebrate with all of the finalists and winners in person. A lot of them are very good friends and so to see them was great.
“I'm usually on the other side of the rails leading horses up during the summer, so it has been a special day for me and my wife, Sam. She has been a huge support to me through a lot of things, so it's been wonderful to be able to spend a day like this with her. I hope my experience can encourage people to join our industry, and for those more experienced to nurture and train their younger colleagues.”
Trainor presented the prizes to the winning connections of Pogo, who won the G2 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge S.
The awards have been revamped for 2023 and are now known as the Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, with nominations opened for all categories last week.
Nominating provides 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.
Nominations can be made online by anyone, simply by visiting the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards website at thoroughbredawards.co.uk.
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