DAVID BRADLEY CROWNED EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AT GODOLPHIN STUD AND STABLE STAFF AWARDS 2011
David Bradley has been named 'Employee of the Year' at the seventh annual Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards Ceremony, which took place at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London's Knightsbridge on Monday 28th February.
The 57 year-old Head Man, employed by Jeremy Noseda, was presented with the perpetual Godolphin Trophy by Guest Presenter and retained Godolphin Jockey, Frankie Dettori. In addition to the stunning trophy, David was also presented with a cheque for a staggering £25,000, of which £10,000 will be shared amongst the staff at Noseda's Yard.
The Judging Panel praised the exceptional caliber of the 2011 finalists, each of whom were in attendance at the humbling Ceremony, and unanimously agreed that the decision had been an incredibly difficult one to make. Bradley was chosen as the winner of the Employee of the Year Award following a formal judging day, held at the headquarters of the British Horseracing Authority, in which each of the Finalists were met and interviewed by members of the Judging Panel.
Watch the moving introductory video for the awards
Jeremy Noseda, who nominated David for the Award, said of his Head Man:
"David is, by a considerable margin, the best member of staff I've ever had the fortune of working with."
Brough Scott, Chairman of the Panel commented:
"We have been blown away by the quality of the Winners this afternoon and this made the decision of choosing the Employee of the Year very hard. However, David Bradley brings a unique mixture of international experience, local achievement and future planning, which exemplifies exactly what these Awards are about."
Frankie Dettori added:
"I have been honoured to be a part of what has been an incredibly overwhelming day, meeting and spending time with such fantastic people. The Stud and Stable Staff are the lifeblood of our industry – we'd all be out of a job without them, so it's hugely positive that they are being acknowledged in this manner and such a generous level of prize money provided."
View coverage of the awards ceremony
A specially invited audience of 150 people from within the Racing Industry gathered to pay tribute to the leading Stud and Stable Staff in the country, as nominated by their Employers and Peers. The Awards – the richest of their kind in the world, with £120,000 in prize money – are generously sponsored by Godolphin, and run by the British Horseracing Authority, in conjunction with the Racing Post.
Each individual category winner collected £5,000, with their colleagues at their respective Stable or Stud also sharing £5,000 between them. The two Runners-Up in each category also received £2,000, with their Yard or Stud also collecting the same amount. The winner of the separate NASS Special Merit Award, judged by the NASS Executive, received an individual prize of £5,000.
The full list of winners and runners up are as follows:
NASS SPECIAL MERIT AWARD
Winner: George McGrath, Travelling Head Lad with Willie Musson
DAVID NICHOLSON NEWCOMER AWARD
Winner: Ben Howe, Stable Lad with Ruth Carr
Runners Up: Amie Trow, Rider/Groom with David Lanigan and Jade Walters, Stable Lass with Paul Nicholls
HIGH ACHIEVER AWARD
Winner: David Bradley, Head Man with Jeremy Noseda
Runners Up: Alex Bevan, Assistant Trainer with Alan McCabe and Barry O'Dowd, Assistant Trainer with John Gosden
RIDER/GROOM AWARD
Winner: Geoffrey Thompson, Work Rider/Groom with Sir Michael Stoute
Runners Up: Joe Scally, Stable Lad with Jeremy Noseda and Steve Wooley, Rider with Andrew Balding
STUD STAFF AWARD
Winner: Graham Paxton, Stud Groom at Darley Stud
Runners Up: Douglas Ventress, Stud Groom at Plantation Stud and Sandra Morton, Stud Groom at Folly Farm
DEDICATION TO RACING AWARD
Winner: Albert 'Corky' Browne
Runners Up: David Winsor, Stable Lad with Jeremy Noseda and George McGrath, Travelling Head Lad with Willie Musson
The Awards were judged by a panel comprising celebrated Author and Journalist Brough Scott (Chairman); Dinah Nicholson, wife of the late David Nicholson, himself a former Champion Trainer; David Redvers, Bloodstock Agent; John Reid, former Classic-winning jockey; Ian Balding, former Champion Trainer; and Judith Allen, Executive Director of the British Horseracing and Education Standards Trust.
The Awards
The Stud and Stable Staff Awards were established in 2005 to recognise the achievements of Racing’s most dedicated and inspiring staff and, thanks to Godolphin’s continued support, prize money for the Awards remains at a considerable £120,000 for the second year running.
The six Award categories remain unchanged from 2010, and include a continued partnership with the National Association of Stable Staff for one of the categories:
David Nicholson Newcomer Award: for those who have displayed a desire to improve, have progressed their skills and knowledge and become an integral part of the team while employed in the industry for less than 3 years
High Achiever Award: for those managing two or more staff who have displayed leadership qualities amongst their colleagues and peers, a desire to succeed in the industry and strong mentoring skills that have been to the benefit of those around them
Rider/Groom Award: for those who have shown talent for horsemanship, consistency and reliability in and out of the saddle
Stud Staff Award: for those who have shown expertise, dedication and reliability, excellent horsemanship, adaptability and teamwork while employed within a stud
NASS Special Merit Award: for a NASS member chosen by a NASS member on the basis that they deserve special recognition for their work within the industry and have acted in a manner to be regarded as a role model for stable staff
Dedication to Racing Award: for a long-serving member of staff who is an integral part of the team, offers a wealth of industry experience and knowledge, and displays dedication and love for the work that they do
Nominations are accepted from everyone within the industry, a change to the rules that was introduced in 2010 and led to a substantial increase in the number of staff nominated. This means that everyone, from Owners and Trainers, to Work Colleagues and Office Administrators, has a chance to nominate someone that they feel deserves recognition for the role that they play in horseracing.
