Glorious mayhem and James Ferguson's flying beer provide my little window into the big soul of this industry
We were in the grip of the pandemic last time I wrote about the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, busy exhorting readers to watch the first televised ceremony that necessarily replaced an actual gathering via the dubious magic of Zoom.
In truth, it went a bit too well – even the notoriously dodgy signal in Newmarket and Lambourn couldn’t dampen the unfettered joy felt for each of the winners when their names were read. It didn’t really matter if you could make out only every other word of an acceptance speech if you could see on their faces the impact of the sport’s recognition. And in the days of social distancing, any smile was worth a thousand.
Roll on a year to February 2022, and with omicron in the ether and still too many occasions where it was deemed appropriate to ram an oversized cotton bud halfway into your brain cavity, it was back to the video wall to repeat the dose. This time, however, friends, family and colleagues could pile into the room to join the celebrations. And celebrate they did.
There was glorious mayhem at the Urban Riding Academy in Leicester when Fr33dom Zampaladus waxed lyrical after receiving the Rory MacDonald Community award, while the abiding image of the night was James Ferguson’s youthful and burgeoning team exploding into life as Alison West was announced the winner in the leadership category. The trainer himself, beer in hand, sent furniture flying as he leapt to embrace her.
And in those few seconds you felt you had a little window into the big soul of this industry. Without intimate knowledge of any of those on your screen, you could feel warmth, gratitude, selflessness and a genuine sense of community. Here was a young and buccaneering group revelling in the acknowledgement of Alison’s skill, experience and mentorship.
In 2023, we were finally freed from the shackles of Britain’s creaking broadband network and released back into the wild, or at least into each other’s arms in the convivial surroundings of York racecourse, which did a predictably magnificent job hosting the event. This was where Sarah Guest – the mainstay of John O’Shea’s 25-horse stable in Gloucestershire – succeeded Paddy Trainor (big axel in the Johnston juggernaut) as employee of the year.
It was a refreshingly Anglo-Saxon expression of shock that emerged as she picked up a cheque for £30,000 on behalf of the half-dozen or so team members who had all accompanied her on the journey. Sure, Sarah was surprised, but it was only modesty that forbade confidence, as it was obvious to all the judges that here was somebody who embodied the life-affirming within the unique environment of a racing stable.
As Sarah has said many times since, her entry into racing was born simply of the love of the horse, but – while always sustained by that – she has come to value equally the development of the younger staff, both as riders and as people. When her boss became seriously ill, she stepped up to the mark without fuss, showing loyalty and leadership. She has been such a fine ambassador for the stable since winning the award that new investment has come to the yard, and her counsel has been sought not only by educators across the industry, but also by the Welsh Parliament (Senedd), who she addressed this year.
Sarah and her predecessor Paddy Trainor will both be part of the 12-strong judging panel this year, as we seek to increase the representation of the workforce in assessing the skills and strength of its peers. Our work will begin after nominations close a week on Tuesday.
We also welcome the National Stud’s CEO Anna Kerr, who has already brought great energy to the considerable task of persuading more stud farms to help us recognise those who bring the animals we so enjoy into our world. I would like to take this opportunity to offer personal thanks to Claire Sheppard and Hazel Peplinski, both of whom have stepped down after several years of wit and insight as judges.
This is probably tempting fate, but 2023 was the first year since taking over the chair that I wasn’t compelled to face down any angry complaints over the fairness of the judging. Hopefully, this is a recognition not only of due impartiality, but also that the process simply looks for the best people rather than satisfying a set of predetermined criteria.
This is why it is so important and such a joy that we can once again meet all the finalists in person and to tap into those rich and varied characters that make the sport so vital.
In fact, if the producers of the much-anticipated new racing docuseries on ITV are agonising over the ‘casting’, they could do much worse than spend a day with us.
Nominations are open until November 7 for the 20th running of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards. The awards are an opportunity for employees from across the industry in Britain, such as training yards, studs or administrative roles, to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication. Find out more here.
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Nominations open for the 20th Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards
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