girls aloud
....Girls aloud
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Cathy Grassick, chairman of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, applauds the Irish Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award winners
Henry de Bromhead’s team: given a Special Recognition Award, nominated by IHRB’s medical officer Jennifer Pugh
HIS YEAR the yearling sales in the UK and Ireland definitely brought forward a lot of commentary and concern – it was one of the more difficult sales seasons experienced by many for a long time. But there were still many top quality horses, changing hands for big prices, showing us that the top of the market remains strong. With the autumn season out of the way, now is the time that we reflect on how stallions performed at the yearling sales in order to plan matings for the upcoming breeding season. Stallion nomination prices will be of great concern to many breeders, given the difficult financial climate the world is currently facing. I think this year a value for money option will be at the top of everybody’s list. After a busy yearling sales season, it was really lovely to get back home to the farm. At this time of year there is little time for rest – mares and foals have come in for their sales preparation and I look forward to a nice draft for the sales ahead. I barely had time to unpack before it was time to attend the Irish Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards evening, held in association with Godolphin. This is an evening that I really enjoy every year. It is a chance to celebrate the achievements of the dedicated men and women who look after the horses in this industry.
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Godolphin and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed have been so generous with their support of the industry employee awards around the world. Their support and generosity have given recognition to the many dedicated employees, working hard behind-the-scenes every day in our industry. The awards go to exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to racing and breeding. This year’s awards were particularly special as they began with a tribute to Henry de Bromhead’s staff with a Special Recognition Award in light of the tragic loss of Jack De Bromhead. By the end of the video, which told the story of the days, weeks and months following the loss of young Jack, there wasn’t a dry eye left in the Keadeen Hotel. The staff were nominated by IHRB chief medical officer Jennifer Pugh, who had glowing praise for the team and it is safe to say that everyone in the room felt the same way. Ballinrobe racecourse, which ws judged to have the best facilities for stable employees and was awarded the Racecourse Award. It really shows what a small racecourse can do when it is determined to give a high class offering to all of its patrons. The awards for dedicated staff followed thick and fast with many well deserving and hard-working people honoured. Niall Amond, or “Bubba”, as he is better known and who works tirelessly for Jessica Harrington, was definitely a
