The winners of the 2022 Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards were announced on Monday live on Racing TV

Racings everyday heroes where honoured live on Racing TV on Monday. The event hosted by Oli Bell was held virtually for the second year running.

Paddy Trainor of Johnston Racing won the Rider/ Groom Award and went on to win the 2022 Employee of the Year award at the end of the night. Paddy has worked for Johnston Racing for 23 years and is a familiar face to any regular racegoer. He has recently qualified as an Industry Coach and works tirelessly to help those less experienced developing their skills and increasing their knowledge of horse welfare. His encouragement keeps up enthusiasm and morale.

The combined £30,000 won by Paddy was part of the total prize-money totalling £128,500 generously offered by sponsors Godolphin and distributed throughout the evening with the awards having been organised by the British Horseracing Authority.

Nick Luck, Chair of the Judging Panel, said: “It is an honour and a pleasure to get to know the nominees for each category and picking winners from among them is an exceedingly difficult task, as everybody who has been nominated is most deserving of their moment in the spotlight.

“Paddy is an incredibly deserving winner of the Employee of the Year Award and all of his colleagues at Johnston Racing will rightly feel very proud this evening.

“My congratulations go to all of this evening’s winners, as well as those nominated and I would also like to thank my fellow judges for their work in this process.”

Julie Harrington, Chief Executive of the BHA, said: “One of the great pleasures of my job is getting to spend time with the nominees for the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff every year and my congratulations go to everybody considered for an award this evening.

“The awards are special, not only because they shine a light on the incredible work done by racing staff up and down the country, but because in being nominated, those individuals are given an indication of the high regard in which they are held by their peers.

“Everybody nominated tonight has done their bit to make horse racing a better sport and for that we are all extremely grateful. Measures have remained in place on racecourses throughout the last 12 months to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and, as has been the case throughout the pandemic, those impacted have adapted their working style admirably and ensured that our sport has continued uninterrupted since its resumption in June 2020.

“My heartfelt congratulations go to all of tonight’s winners and nominees, in particular Paddy Trainor, and my thanks go to our sponsor Godolphin and the judging panel for their hard work.”

The full list of winners and finalists is as follows:

Community

• Andrew Braithwaite – The British Racing School
• Freedom Zampaladus – Urban Equestrian Academy (winner)
• Kevin & Pam Atkinson – New Beginnings

David Nicholson Newcomer

• Ella Garland – Nick Gifford Racing
• Elouise O’Hart – Ed Walker (winner)
• Debbie Brodie – Godolphin Management Co. Ltd.

Leadership

• Timothy Hogg – Jedd O’Keefe Racing Ltd.
• Tom Messenger – Dan Skelton (winner)
• Jack Steels – Ed Walker

Rider/Groom

• Paddy Trainor – Johnston Racing Ltd. (winner)
• Christina Berry – Grace Harris
• John Nicholson – Johnston Racing Ltd.

Stud Staff

• Balazs Karoly Sipos – Hascombe and Valiant Stud
• Dulcie West – North Farm Stud (winner)
• Richard Heayns-Corrick – Chapel Stud

Dedication

• Volodymyr (Vova) Stepanyuk – Nick Gifford Racing
• Alyson West – James Ferguson (winner)
• Simon Olley – Philip Kirby