The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation awarded two recipients the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Experience Scholarship, the program announced Thursday.
The award, open to graduates of Irish equine programs, grants one year placements at leading Kentucky farms to provide the next generation of young people with an opportunity to further develop their horse skills.
For 2025, the board selected Ciaran Phelan who will work with Springhouse Farm in Lexington and Lola Queck who will work with Hunter Valley Farm in Versailles.
Ciaran worked at Coolmore Stud and Lodge Park Stud, graduated from the Irish National Stud and was previously awarded the Jonathan Fitzpatrick Business Internship in the nominations office at the stud where he benefitted greatly from exposure to the business side of a commercial stallion farm.
“Ultimately my goal is to breed horses capable of competing at the highest echelons of racing,” said Phelan.
Lola is also a graduate of the Irish National Stud program and gained experience having left her native Germany to travel to Australia and work for trainer Brett Cavanaugh and Vinery Stud. She has also worked on the advertising and social media side of the business and recognizes their importance to sustain the bloodstock and breeding industry. Lola would like to start some pinhooking in the future and has enjoyed yearling prep, an area which she would like to further develop into a career.
“It is essential to truly love what you are doing and always treat [the horses] with good intentions,” said Queck. “There is always more to learn and it is very important to experience as many different cultures and ways of doing things–especially in this industry”
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