Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards 2008

Charlie Wood, winner of the Stud Category of the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards is pictured above. Photograph © Arnhel de Serra.

The breeding industry was well-represented at the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards lunch held on February 19th, with three strong contenders making it to the final in the stud section of the Awards and an entry in the David Nicholson Newcomer category. It was a difficult choice to make but winner of the stud section was Charlie Wood of Side Hill Stud who triumphed over the deserving runners-up Ian Eames, Coln Valley Stud and Jody Elmes, Woodcote Stud. Charlie, who has been at Side Hill for 24 years, was described as demonstrating the qualities of calmness, expertise and sharp observation so necessary in a stud groom. Indeed his dedication to the job is such that having spent all day in London being interviewed prior to the Award Ceremony he traveled back up to Newmarket that night, and foaled a mare at 2 am the next morning before driving back down to London to collect his Award!

Dorothy Kmon, a native of Poland but currently working for Pam Cockerill at Providence Stud in Yorkshire, has deeply impressed Pam with her enthusiasm, and ability to turn her hand to anything during the 20 months she has been working on the stud. A runners-up award of £2000 in the Newcomer section was therefore justifiably well-deserved, and Dorothy hopes to carry on learning the business for some time in England before she returns to her homeland.

The Awards Ceremony was an uplifting and inspiring occasion, and an opportunity to recognise the backroom staff that keep the industry going seven days a week. Generously sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority in conjunction with the Racing Post, they are something for racing and breeding to be proud of, and furthermore act as great advertisement for a career in the industry.