'Amazing opportunity' for County Limerick equine science student via scholarship

Elle Sorensen, from County Limerick, has been named one of the 2023 scholarship winners by the board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation.

She will be spend her placement at Hunter Valley Farm in Lexington for the upcoming breeding season.

Hunter Valley will provide a great opportunity for Sorensen to learn and develop with a leading boarding and sales consignment operation at the centre of Kentucky’s bloodstock region.

Hunter Valley Farm co-owner Adrian Regan said: "Fergus Galvin and I are really looking forward to welcoming Elle to Kentucky. Hopefully we can do half as good a job as Gerry did with educating his students."

Sorensen is studying equine science at the University of Limerick and is a third-year student.

She learned the basics of the racing industry while working at Michael Hourigan's National Hunt yard at Lisaleen stables during secondary school.

During college she developed a keen interest in bloodstock and breeding, and gained valuable work and sales experience with leading County Limerick farms Rathmore Stud and Croom House Stud.

She said: "Thanks to the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation, I have been awarded this amazing opportunity to travel to America and further my knowledge, education and passion for the industry at Hunter Valley Farm."

The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship was established in memory of Gerry Dilger (1958-2020), by his family and closest friends. Dilger was from County Clare and went to the United States aged 19 to pursue a career in the thoroughbred industry.

In 1994, he established Dromoland Farm in Lexington and went on to enjoy a successful career breeding and consigning racehorses, and mentoring young people.

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