It has today been confirmed that The Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards 2011 are to take place on Monday 28th February at London’s Jumeirah Carlton Hotel. Nominations for the prestigious Awards Ceremony, sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority in association with the Racing Post, will open on Monday 15th November 2010 and close on Tuesday 4th January 2011.
The Stud and Stable Staff Awards were established in 2005 to recognise the achievements of Racing’s most dedicated and inspiring staff and, thanks to Godolphin’s continued support, prize money for the Awards remains at a considerable £120,000 for the second year running.
Nominations will be accepted from everyone within the industry, a change to the rules that was introduced in 2010 and led to a substantial increase in the number of staff nominated. This means that everyone, from Owners and Trainers, to Work Colleagues and Office Administrators, has a chance to nominate someone that they feel deserves recognition for the role that they play in horseracing.
Full information is available on stage.britishhorseracing.com/stablestaff, and nomination forms will be available to download from the 15th November 2010. Forms will also be available to download from www.racingpost.co.uk, by texting “Awards” to 07554 400150 or by sending an email to [email protected].
Taking into account feedback gathered following the 2010 Awards, some changes have been introduced to further simplify the nomination process, with the aim of encouraging more nominations for staff that deserve recognition. The initial nomination forms have historically been completed by both the Nominator and Nominee but for 2011, this has been amended so that only the Nominator need complete the forms and the Nominee’s input will not be required until initial entries have been reduced.
The six Award categories remain unchanged from 2010, and include a continued partnership with the National Association of Stable Staff for one of the categories:
· David Nicholson Newcomer Award: for those who have displayed a desire to improve, have progressed their skills and knowledge and become an integral part of the team while employed in the industry for less than 3 years
· High Achiever Award: for those managing two or more staff who have displayed leadership qualities amongst their colleagues and peers, a desire to succeed in the industry and strong mentoring skills that have been to the benefit of those around them
· Rider/Groom Award: for those who have shown talent for horsemanship, consistency and reliability in and out of the saddle
· Stud Staff Award: for those who have shown expertise, dedication and reliability, excellent horsemanship, adaptability and teamwork while employed within a stud
· NASS Special Merit Award: for a NASS member chosen by a NASS member on the basis that they deserve special recognition for their work within the industry and have acted in a manner to be regarded as a role model for stable staff
· Dedication to Racing Award: for a long-serving member of staff who is an integral part of the team, offers a wealth of industry experience and knowledge, and displays dedication and love for the work that they do
Each category winner will receive £5,000 and the two runners-up will also each receive £2,000, aside from the new NASS category where £5,000 is pledged to just the winner, in special recognition of their solo efforts. Category winners, excluding the winner of the Newcomer Award and the NASS Special Merit Award, then go forward for the overall ‘Employee of the Year Award’, boasting a grand prize of £25,000 to be split between winner and yard, together with The Godolphin Trophy, a memento of their success.
Crucially, an identical amount of that presented to category winners and runners-up will also be given to the winners’ yards to be shared among the rest of the staff. The NASS Special Merit Award will not include a yard contribution as it is very much focused on the individual winner’s achievements.
The Judging Panel has yet to be confirmed for 2011, but is expected to be announced shortly.
British Horseracing Authority Chief Executive Nic Coward said:
“We would like to thank Godolphin for continuing their generous sponsorship and to have this level of prize money cements the importance of these Awards within the industry. A great deal of time and effort has been put into improving both the nomination and judging process and a number of industry figureheads have been consulted. Now it is up to everyone in the sport to ensure that there are a record number of entries in 2011.”
For further information or media enquiries, please contact Harriet Collins of JSC Sport on 020 7385 88199 or email [email protected].