Community award finalists confirmed for Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards
The finalists for the 2020 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards have been confirmed today, Tuesday 7 January. An initial shortlist of 10 in each category was arrived at from 203 nominations overall. Last month three finalists were selected for each of the six awards.
The finalists will head to London on 24 February for an interview with the judges who will then decide the winners and runners-up.
The results will be revealed later that evening at a glittering awards ceremony at The Underglobe on London’s South Bank, hosted by ITV Racing’s Ed Chamberlin.
The categories are: Leadership Award, Dedication Award, Rider/Groom Award, Stud Staff, Rory MacDonald Award and David Nicholson Newcomer Award (n.b. the David Nicholson Newcomer Award is for people who entered racing within the last three years).
The shortlisted nominees and their employers listed by category are as follows:
Rory MacDonald
- Eleanor Boden – Scottish Racing and Racing to School (read more about Eleanor in her guest blog for Racing Together here)
- Rachel (Chicky) Oaksey – Injured Jockeys Fund
- Simone Sear – Racing Welfare (read Simone’s guest blog here)
David Nicholson Newcomer
- Charlotte Cotgrave – Mark Johnston
- Bradley Harris – Andrew Balding
- Kevin Skelton – Bryan Smart
Leadership
- Leanne Kershaw – Jedd O’Keeffe
- Mat Nicholls – Kim Bailey
- James Savage – Michael Stoute
Rider/Groom
- Hayley Ashcroft – Tom Dascombe
- Shoab Patel – Stuart Williams
- Kate McCormack – Paul Nicholls
Stud Staff
- James Frank – Hascombe and Valiant
- Patrick Meehan – The National Stud
- Keith Warburton – Shade Oak
Dedication
- Seanie Mulcaire – Philp Hobbs
- Andrew Stringer – John Gosden
- Philip Wright – Harry Dunlop
The Judging Panel for the 2020 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards is: Brough Scott (Chair), Sally Aston, Catriona Bissett, Mark Bradburne, Captain Guy Disney, Mick Fitzgerald, Dawn Goodfellow, Nick Luck, George McGrath, Ollie McPhail, Dinah Nicholson and Hazel Peplinski.
The Rory MacDonald Award recognises any individual connected directly or indirectly within horseracing, including auxiliary and administrative staff who has made an outstanding contribution to either the racehorses or to the lives of those working within the industry, or on racing’s behalf, in local communities showcasing the social responsibility of our sport, for either equine, humans or both.
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 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. There is an additional prize for the winner of the David Nicholson Newcomer Award, which includes return flights, a five-day educational tour of Dubai together with five nights’ accommodation in a five-star hotel.
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.