The shortlists have been revealed today for the 2025 Thoroughbred Industry Employees Awards sponsored by Godolphin, following a bumper crop of high-quality nominations.
Over 200 entries were received from across the British racing and breeding industry, and following a competitive judging process, the expert panel has agreed a shortlist of 10 nominees for each of the six award categories.
With £128,500 in prize money available to be won, the awards are an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional individuals who look after our horses, support our people and make a positive difference in racing’s communities.
The next round of judging will start right away, as each of the six shortlists is narrowed down to three finalists in each category. The finalists will then be judged and the winners and runners up announced at the prestigious TIEA ceremony at York Racecourse on 24 February 2025.
Hosted by broadcaster Rishi Persad, the gala event will also crown the 2025 Employee of the Year, with special guest appearances from dual Olympic gold medallist Laura Collett MBE and Godolphin retained rider and double champion Flat jockey, William Buick.
All nominees who made it to the shortlist of 10 but do not progress to the final three will receive a £250 prize to mark the significant achievement of having reached this stage of the process.
BHA Chief Executive, Julie Harrington, said:
“Many congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted for a Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award. You should all feel very proud of this significant achievement and I wish you the very best of luck for the next round of judging.
“I also want to commend those nominees who didn’t quite make the shortlist this year, but should nevertheless feel very pleased with the accomplishment of being nominated by their employers, peers and friends in recognition of their hard work and contribution.
“My thanks to our expert judging panel, to our generous sponsors Godolphin, our partners the Racing Post and Racing TV, and to stakeholders from across the industry for helping us promote the nominations period. This is an industry-wide effort and the response we receive for these special awards is truly incredible.”
Chair of the judging panel, Nick Luck, said:
“My judging colleagues and I thought we had our work cut out last year, but these awards continue to go from strength-to-strength and this made for an extremely competitive process – and gave our panel some seriously difficult decisions to make.
“We were particularly pleased to see the range of nominations across different categories, with good geographical spread and welcome representation from operations of varying sizes and disciplines. It is also encouraging to see the breeding community fully embracing the awards, with nominees across the board and not just in the Stud category.
“We look forward to getting to know more about our shortlisted candidates in the second round of judging.”
The shortlisted nominees for each category are:
Newcomer Award
Alex Alton – Whitsbury Manor Stud
Alice Board – Paul Nicholls
Archie Silburn – Gary & Josh Moore
Jessica Hughes – Emma Bishop
Morgan Tidman – Sir Mark Prescott
Phoebe Young – Johnston Racing
Sebastian Thompson – Tweenhills
Tina St John – William Haggas
Tyla Macfarlane – Andrew Balding
Uwitonze Wenham-Beckford – Karl Burke
Leadership Award
Barbara Dare – Hughie Morrison
Charles Guet – Ed Walker
Gary Plasted – Ralph Beckett
Ivo Thomas – Tweenhills
Jack Andrews – Gary & Josh Moore
Jack Conroy – Chasemore Farm
Katie Midgley – Mick & David Easterby
Louisa Allen – Jim Boyle
Mark Ellwood – Nick Alexander
Rachel Lytham – Greenall Guerriero Racing
Rider / Racing Groom Award
Abby Robertson – Katie Scott
Bhanwar Singh – Johnston Racing
Chloe Humphries – Paul Nicholls
Emma Kettlewell – Karl Burke
Jack Brooks – Kevin Frost
Jo Supple – Rod Millman
Kate Williams – Mark Walford
Sarah McDonald – Julia Feilden
Shannon Moore – Sir Mark Prescott
Simone Meloni – Nicky Henderson
Stud Award
Abbie Salter – Culworth Grounds Farm
Alan Ridger – Garrowby Stud
Christopher Constantine – Shadwell Stud
Fiona McGlone – Hascombe & Valiant Stud
Jessica Buxton – The National Stud
Jill Beazley – Yorton Stud
Karen Holmes – Tweenhills
Kelly Stevens – Littleton Stud
Kim Skolfield – Newsells Park Stud
Tom Turner – Hazelwood Bloodstock
Dedication Award
Anthony Smith – Karl Burke
Audrey Renshaw – Nicky Richards
Dean Angell – Amanda Perrett
Graham McCourt – Tweenhills
Helen Halliwell – James Fanshawe
Jane Smith – John Ryan
Joe Scally – Roger Varian
Kenny Williams – Michael Dods
Mike Marshall – Charlie Fellowes
Robert Storton – Jack Channon
Community Award
Alex Harvey – Newmarket Pony Academy
Anna Collins – Chester Racecourse
Anne Richardson – HEROS Charity
Brian Clements – Racing Welfare
Jacqui Greet – Ascot Racecourse
Jane Barnes – James Moffatt Racing Stables
Lucy Gurney – Racing Together
Sally Lyons – Great British Racing
Sam Warren – Racing, Addictions and Coping with Emotions (RACE)
Sue Dalton – Injured Jockeys Fund (Jack Berry House)
