Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation

The board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation named Gwen Browne and Shane Loughnane as recipients of scholarships, which includes tuition and room and board, for the 2024 National Stud course in county Kildare, Ireland, the organization said in a release Thursday. Studying Stud Management at Kildalton College in county Kilkenny while apprenticing under trainers Mags Mullins and Pat Foley, Browne subsequently worked for leading trainer Jessica Harrington's stables in county Kildare followed by a stint with Segenhoe Stud in the Hunter Valley, Australia. Prior to being accepted onto...

Sean Berns, Sarah Pepper and Larry Mulvany are the recipients of the Gerry Dilger Equine Foundation Kentucky Experience scholarship, which places the winners on Kentucky farms for a period of one year beginning in January 2024. Like the late and beloved Dilger, Berns graduated from the prestigious Irish National Stud and will be placed in Kentucky at Springhouse Farm. Though not originally from a horse background, Berns has studied equine business at Maynooth College and has worked at Derrinstown Stud and Coolmore in Ireland and at Newgate Stud in Australia....

The Gerry Dilger Foundation invites applications by July 1 for those interested in attending the Irish National Stud in Kildare, Ireland. The scholarship is aimed at individuals currently working on a Kentucky horse farm with multiple years of experience, those enrolled as a 2023 KEMI spring intern or participants who have completed last year's fall program. Application Requirements: Resident of the US Bachelor's degree in equine science preferred, but not required Application and information due July 1, 2023   Scholarship Provides: Round trip airfare for travel. Ticket must be economy/coach...

The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation announced Elle Sorensen was named one of the 2023 Scholarship winners.  The County Limerick resident will be placed at Hunter Valley Farm in Lexington for the upcoming breeding season. Hunter Valley will provide the scholarship winner the opportunity to learn and develop with a leading thoroughbred boarding and sales consignment operation at the center of Kentucky's bloodstock region. Hunter Valley Farm co-owner Adrian Regan remarked, "Fergus Galvin and I are really looking forward to welcoming Elle to Kentucky. Hopefully, we can do half as...

Edited Release The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation was set up two years ago by family and close friends in memory of Gerry Dilger. Gerry was a very successful breeder and pinhooker of many top horses, including consecutive GI Kentucky Derby winners Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and Always Dreaming (Bodemeister). More than his equine triumphs, Gerry was a mentor to so many young people through his Dromoland Farm, where he nurtured and assisted them as they commenced their careers in the bloodstock business. In recognition of this, the Foundation was established...

The Gerry Dilger Scholarship Foundation has granted one more scholarship for the upcoming 2022 breeding season, allowing University of Limerick student and Cashel, County Tipperary native Luke Kevin to travel from Ireland and work at Lane's End Farm. "I would like to give a huge thanks to the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation for giving me this great opportunity to work and learn in the U.S.," said Kevin, a third-year student in the Equine Science program who has gained prior experience at Ballysheehan, Martinstown and Ballinalard Studs. "On behalf of...

Gemma Blumenshine is the recipient of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation's annual scholarship to the Irish National Stud in conjunction with the Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI), the board announced on Wednesday. Blumenshine's profile and strong work ethic impressed the board as the candidate who was most deserving of the unique experience and opportunity to be a part of the Irish National Stud program in 2022. Blumenshine, who grew up in Clovis, California, majored in Animal Science and minored in Diary Industries at California Polytechnic State University. She started...

The Board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation has awarded two further scholarships for 2021 to a pair of Irish students studying Animal Science Equine at University College Dublin. Rachel Doran and Ciara Russell have each been awarded with placements at Gabriel and Aisling Duignan's Springhouse Farm in Lexington. "I am honored to have been chosen alongside Ciara for this scholarship and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get something like this," said Doran, who works in a racing yard while studying towards her degree. "I...

Normarie Santiago Cruz has been named the first recipient of three annual scholarships by the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation. The scholarship is named in honor of the horseman who passed away this past March and is intended to promote and encourage young people who are seeking a career in the bloodstock industry. Cruz has been selected by the board to receive the funding so that she might enroll in the world-famous National Stud course in Co. Kildare, Ireland. She is a former KEMI student and is currently enrolled at...

It didn't take long after the tragic news of Gerry Dilger's passing on Wednesday morning for his friends to decide upon the most fitting way to honor his memory: a continuing commitment to the education of young people in the Thoroughbred industry. Pat Costello said that discussions started at noon Thursday as the brainchild of Robbie Lyons and Lesley Campion in the Paramount Sales office and by 2 p.m., a Gofundme page was up and running. By Friday afternoon, the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation had already raised over $100,000,...