Following this year’s record nominations, the BHA has today announced the shortlisted nominees for the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.
The panel of 12 judges have overseen 301 applications and taken on the unenviable task of narrowing them down to just ten finalists in each of the six categories.
The next stage of judging will now begin with judges speaking directly to all candidates who have made it onto the shortlist. The judges will consider those conversations alongside the written nominations before narrowing the candidates down to just three finalists per category.
The final stage of judging will take place in London on the day of the awards ceremony, Monday 20 February 2017, where finalists will be interviewed face-to-face by the judges who will then decide the winners and runners-up for each category. The results will be revealed later that evening at the awards ceremony at the Jumeirah Carlton Towers hotel in Knightsbridge by ITV Racing’s Ed Chamberlin.
Brough Scott, Chairman of the Judging Panel said:
“This is a humbling task because reading through the citations highlights how many good people there are in our racing world and choosing between them is a painful business.
“The competition would not even start unless individual nominators took the trouble to make the entries. The judges would like to thank everyone for getting involved and understand that many will be disappointed not to make the next stage. There is always next year!
“Meanwhile, the judging panel would like to congratulate everyone who has got through to the next stage and we now must perm sets of three from ten. It won’t be easy but we do it in admiration.”
The shortlist nominees are listed below:
David Nicholson Newcomer Award:
| Nominee | Nominees Yard/Stud |
| Lily Fitzpatrick | Lawney Hill |
| Marco Ghiani | Luca Cumani |
| Oliver Hayes | Fittocks Stud |
| Dillan Bobby Hurst | Susan Corbett |
| Anthony Lynch | Wadacre Stud |
| Jessica O’ Kane | Kristin Stubbs |
| June Palmer Kimpton | Ben Haslam |
| Ray Polar | David Griffiths |
| Stacey Whitehead | Gary Hanmer |
| Elisha Whittington | Tom Dascombe |
Leadership Award:
| Nominee | Nominees Yard/Stud |
| Andrew Dickinson | Gary Moore |
| Michael Finn | Graham McPherson |
| Claire Freeman | Dan Skelton |
| Steven Howarth | Kevin Ryan |
| Hayley Kelly | Mark Johnston |
| Rory O’Dowd | Brian Meehan |
| Gary O’Neill | Charlie Appleby |
| Kate Robinson | Jamie Snowden |
| Nicola Studart | Jonathan Portman |
| Alyson West | Sir Mark Prescott |
Rider Groom Award:
| Nominee | Nominees Yard |
| Jamie Bunsell | Paul Henderson |
| Chloe Emsley | Anthony Honeyball |
| Jason Favell | William Haggas |
| Jonathan Hinch | Godolphin |
| Joy Morton | Kenny Johnson |
| Chetan Singh | Andrew Balding |
| Toni Sydall | Richard Hannon |
| Patrick Trainor | Mark Johnston |
| Catherine Walton | Micky Hammond |
| Suzie Young | Nick and Jane Williams |
Stud Staff Award:
| Nominee | Nominees Stud |
| Robert Bowley | Juddmonte Farm |
| Jo Brown | Overbury Stud |
| Kelly Cole | Trinity Park Stud |
| Terry Doherty | Watership Down Stud |
| James Fitzjohn | Swanbridge Bloodstock |
| Sarah Taylor | Mickley Stud |
| Keith Warburton | Shade Oak Stud |
| Rachael Weaver | Yorton Farm Stud |
| Dennis Williams | Endless Acres Stud |
| David Wymbs | Meon Valley Stud |
Dedication to Racing:
| Nominee | Nominees Yard/Stud |
| Ruth Burchell | Dai Burchell |
| Belinda (Bee) Chapman | William Jarvis |
| Steven Davis | Daniel Loughnane |
| William Gleed | Marco Botti |
| Ronald Green | John Quinn |
| Kim Jones | Malcolm Saunders |
| Yasmin Elizabeth (Liz) Mullen | Gay Kellaway |
| Colin Nutter | Sir Mark Prescott |
| Melville Soles | Pat Murphy |
| Bryn Walker | Hugo Palmer |
Rory Macdonald Community Award:
| Nominee | Current employer |
| Michelle Bardsley | The Northern Racing College |
| Richard Farquhar | Currently unemployed |
| Angela French | The Racing Centre |
| Gary Humphries | Godolphin |
| Lisa Kozak | Oliver Sherwood |
| Sarah Monkman | Racing Welfare |
| Margaret Moore | NRC volunteer |
| Adam Nish | Musselburgh Racecourse |
| Kevin Parsons | National Association of Stable Staff |
| Peter Williams | British Racing School |
Notes to editors:
1. The categories are: Leadership Award, Dedication Award, Rider/Groom Award, Stud Staff Award, Rory MacDonald Community Award, David Nicholson Newcomer Award.
2. The winner of each of the first four categories will receive a prize of £5,000 with an additional £5,000 also being awarded to the winner’s yard or stud. Two runners-up in each of these categories will win £2,000 each, with the same amount going to their yard or stud.
The winner of the Rory MacDonald Community Award will receive £5,000, with the same going to a charity of their choice. The two runners-up will receive £2,000, with the same going to a charity of their choice.
The winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award will receive £2,000, with the same amount going to their yard or stud, while two runners-up will receive £1,000 each, with the same amount for their yard. The winner of this award will also receive an additional prize of a 5 day Educational trip to Dubai. Return flights and accommodation in a 5* hotel included.
The Awards will also recognise an Employee of the Year, who will be selected from the winners of the first four categories. That winner will receive an additional prize of £15,000, with the same amount going to their yard or stud.
3. Last year saw the launch of the ‘Rory MacDonald Community Award’, which will acknowledge those who support stud and stable staff or have made an outstanding contribution to benefit the wider racing community. The Awards provide an opportunity for the racing industry to highlight and thank the hard work put in by stud and stable staff across the country, and this award in particular acknowledges people who have had a positive impact on their community.
