STABLE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD

"Jess is an absolute star, she loves the horses passionately, turns them out gleaming and rides out every day. Not only does she do all that but is also travelling head girl, driving thousands of miles often leaving very early in the mornings and returning very late. She is extremely reliable and consciensous and always manages to smile. She is a credit to the yard and her owners."

"Natasha goes above and beyond and her dedication to the horses is admirable. Always happy to groom for Sean at point to point and her support has really made a difference to many."

"Harry has a true passion for the sport and isn’t afraid to get stuck in, whether it be helping with breakers, leading up at point to points or just riding out. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience and I think he is truly deserving of the award."

"Jess was thrown into racing in April 2023 when she met p2p jockey and trainer Ross Wilson, prior to this she was a successful dressage rider. Since then she’s truly got involved with all aspects from training a local pony racing jockey, stewarding shetland racing at our local show, riding out, general yard duties and leading up with an 85% strike rate for best turned out, all while holding down a full time job elsewhere. Nothing is ever too much for her, she is always smiling and truly deserves this."

"Zena joined us in the 2023/24 season, helping at weekends while doing her GCSEs. We were delighted when she continued to do weekends for the 2024/25 season. Without fail, Zena is in every Saturday and Sunday and goes racing every weekend, regardless of where it is. She is a huge asset to the team and it has been a pleasure to watch her lead up multiple winners. Her enthusiasm for the sport and horses, at the age of 15, is amazing and we look forward to her joining the team proper next season."

"Elyssa arden (Lis) has been working at Sue and Lucy Gardner's for almost two years. When joining Lucy’s she had never previously worked in a race yard, but completely fell in love with the sport when joining. She always makes a huge effort at the races to make the horses look unbelievable and is a seriously dedicated member of the team there. She sets a great example for how staff should be and shows that you don’t have to be from a racing background to join the sport."

"Esme works tirelessly to ensure our string of 3 horses are well looked after and turned out to the highest standard. Running the yard in all weather conditions, no days off as I’m away working. All this merged with being a full time mum, carrying our one year old son Tobias on her back as she’s carrying out all the day to day tasks that are required to keep the horses happy and healthy. The yard wouldn’t run without her and her grit, work ethic and determination shouldn’t go unnoticed!"

"Elisse is a kind caring person, she always has a smile on her face. She has a very strong passion about horses and will do anything for her horses and will help out if anyone needs a helping hand - but she doesn’t just do it if she has to, she does it because it makes her happy to help out and be around horses."

"I would like to nominate James from David Kemp’s yard. He has looked after some of the best point to pointers over the years; Moroman, Law of Gold, Carayto des Brosses and Rebel Dawn Rising. His dedication and courage is unrivalled, returning after an horrific rta and a subsequent 63 blood clots leaving life-long injuries. He has worked in racing for over 20 years and having this recognition bestowed upon him would mean everything!

"I used to work with Georgie a while ago now at Jack Barber's. Since then she has gone on to become head girl at Will Biddick’s, where I have seen first hand how hard she works. She’s at every P2P, on the yard running around like a headless chicken, organising staff, transport, vets, farriers etc etc! The girl never stands still. I think Will would agree he’d be lost without her. She’s a grafter and a horsewoman. A truly deserving candidate."