'It was such a surprise, I was delighted to even be nominated'

In the second part of our series on the Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff awards, Petra Sebestikova, work-rider for Godolphin and winner of the 2018 rider/groom award talks about her challenging year and the joys of her job

What makes for good stable staff?

I think you must love the job – if you love it and you love the horses then that is half the battle. You also need to have a feel for how to make horses happy, because happy racehorses are good racehorses.

What is the best thing about your job?

I love seeing improvement in the horses I work with. If you're looking after a horse and, in some cases, lucky enough to be riding that horse, seeing improvement in them is just so gratifying.

What is the biggest challenge of working in a professional stable?

In this country it’s probably the weather! Those mornings when you wake up and it’s raining and freezing cold can be pretty tough. Weather like that can make the horses really fresh and free as well, which only adds to the challenge.

Is there anything that you would change about your job?

No!

You had a bad accident last year. What happened?

I was very unlucky. It was winter time, very windy and the horse I was riding was extremely fresh. She reared up, over-balanced and squashed me on the floor. All very dramatic! I broke my pelvis in two places and my ankle.

You recently moved to work for Godolphin. How are you finding it?

I’m really happy here at Godolphin. They looked after me when I arrived after my injury – I was nervous to get back to work but they gave me plenty of time to find my feet and get my confidence back. The operation as a whole has so much experience and I’m really enjoying being here.

What did it mean to you to win the award earlier this year?

It was such a surprise, I was delighted to even be nominated. There are so many good people working in racing who are brilliant at their jobs, so to win such an award was very special. A big thank you to everyone who was involved.

How important are these awards?

I think they are really important as a way of recognising the important work done by all the people who work in professional stables. Without us the horses wouldn’t be racing, and the recognition, however small, that these awards give all stable and stud staff is fantastic.

The Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards, set up to recognise and reward the hard work of stud and stable employees in Britain, are sponsored by Godolphin and run by the BHA in association with the Racing Post. There is more than £120,000 in prize-money on offer, with the Employee of the Year – to be announced on February 18, 2019 – drawn from the winners of six categories.

Members can read the latest exclusive interviews, news analysis and comment available from 6pm daily on racingpost.com