Edited Press Release
The 2022 Diploma cohort from the National Stud graduated on Friday 24th of June with family, friends and industry guests in attendance at the Joan Westbrook Lecture Theatre.
“This group of students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and are all going onto full time roles within the industry.” said CEO Anna Kerr. “It has been one of our busiest seasons to date with a record number of mares covered and the experience they have gained will give them an excellent foundation to build from. Industry recruitment and giving our students the best possible start to their careers is a key focus, and we are continually looking at how we can expand and develop our education programme.”
Champion Trainer John Gosden was the key note speaker and shared experiences from the early days of his career in California, he also highlighted the international career opportunities available for those willing to work and learn.
The Tim Dunlop Memorial Award for Top Student was presented to Rosanna Rushworth from Surrey, who is going to join the team at Watership Down Stud for the sales season. “The course covers such a broad spectrum of topics, so you can develop your interests but also build on your weaknesses too. It's great working alongside people like Rob who have worked in Australia, as you learn from them too.”
The Watership Down Stud Best Practical Award was presented this year to Rob Moss from Wigan. Rob is also the recipient of the Sandra Llyod Memorial Scholarship sponsored by Far Westfield Farm. He is now travelling to Kentucky for a sales season with Taylor Made. “The short term aim is to keep on travelling and learning from other people, so I'm grateful for this opportunity.” said Rob. “I've already seen different ways of doing things to achieve the same success at Eureka Stud and the National Stud, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they do it at Taylor Made. I'd also like to gain experience of how things are done in a training yard at some point, but I see myself working on studs in the long term.”
The Alborada Trust Most Improved Student is awarded to the individual that has made the greatest and most consistent progress throughout the course. This was awarded to Shona Murphy from Kildare who is going on to join the marketing team at Darley.
The John Pearce Foundation Award of Merit was won by Jonathan Smith. This prize is given to the student who demonstrated a commitment to a career in the breeding industry. Jonathan is going to be doing the sales season with Whitsbury Manor before taking up a position with WinStar in Kentucky.
Each year the Gerald Leigh Trust award a bursary for professional development–this year it proved too difficult to split the candidates and so two bursaries were generously awarded to Rob Moss and Dylan Williams.
Jamie Smith from Bolton is going straight from the National Stud onto the Godolphin Flying Start. “The course is amazing,” says Jamie. “The lecture program is second to none and I've not missed one. It's not just about the opportunities, I feel I've learned as much from other students in the same way they think they've learned from me about racing.”
Applications for the 2023 Diploma course are now open, contact students@nationalstud.co.uk for more information.
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