TIEA

Newsells Park Stud's David Porter-Mackrell was named the Employee of the Year at the 2024 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, sponsored by Godolphin, at Ascot Racecourse on Monday. The gala marked the 20th anniversary of the awards, which was attended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and hosted by ITV Racing's Ed Chamberlin. The event, celebrating the contribution of racing's workforce to British racing, saw a total of £128,500 in prize money handed out across six categories. With Newsells the last 15 years, head stallion man Porter-Mackrell was nominated by...

The finalists and runners-up for the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), set for Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Keeneland, were named in a release by Godolphin late Thursday. Sara Gordon, TDN's Social Media Manager, is a finalist for the Newcomer Award. Gordon, a native of Woodbine, Maryland, is a lifelong equestrian who parlayed her love of horses into a career in turf writing. She is based in Lexington, Kentucky. With finalists in six categories, the winner and runner-up of the seventh category, the Dr. J. David "Doc" Richardson Community Award,...

Nominations for the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards are open and will continue through Sunday, July 16. Held in America for the first time in 2016, the TIEA awards are sponsored by Godolphin in association with The Jockey Club, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protection Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the Breeders' Cup. Godolphin also sponsors equivalent awards in Ireland, Australia, Great Britain, and France. Cash prizes totaling $122,000 will be awarded to winners and two finalists in a total of seven categories. In addition, runners-up will...

The 18 finalists for the 2023 UK Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards sponsored by Godolphin were announced on Friday. Three finalists remain in contention for each of the prizes which recognise and reward the outstanding skill, commitment and contribution of over 10,000 stud and stable staff in England, Scotland, and Wales. All of the finalists will receive a £250 prize for reaching this stage of the judging process. Judging day for the 18 will be held on Monday, Feb. 20, with the winners announced during a ceremony at York Racecourse later...

Nominations for the 2022 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA) are open now through Friday, July 15. The TIEAs were held in America for the first time in 2016. Godolphin, the global racing stable founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the principal sponsor of the awards in association with The Jockey Club, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protection Association (NHBPA), the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) and the Breeders' Cup. Godolphin also sponsors the equivalent Stud and Stable Staff Awards in Ireland, Australia, Great Britain and France....

The winners of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards were revealed Friday during an awards ceremony at Keeneland's entertainment center. Winners were announced in a total of seven categories, including the newly added award for Support Services. Caton Bredar served as the master of ceremonies and Steve Asmussen was the guest of honor. "We feel so fortunate to be able to once again bring all of the finalists back to an in-person event," said Katie LaMonica, Charities Manager at Godolphin USA. "While last year's virtual ceremony still provided a platform from...

The winner of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards were announced via a virtual ceremony Thursday, hosted by Studio 46 Media in Lexington, Kentucky. Jill Byrne, Vice President of Racing Operations at Colonial Downs, was once again the master of ceremonies. The Awards are sponsored by Godolphin in partnership with the National HBPA, TOBA, The Jockey Club, and Breeders' Cup. Media partners are the TDN, BloodHorse Publications, Daily Racing Form, The Paulick Report, Fox Sports and TVG. Jimmy Bell, President of Godolphin in America commented, "The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone's...

Congratulations to Dionne Johnson, one of three finalists in the Administration Award category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. Currently the business manager for New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), Johnson has been with the organization for 37 years. She is involved in multiple NYTHA committees, including the Scholarship Committee, which has donated over $1.6 million in scholarships to over 500 children of backside workers over the past decade. "She has quite literally been the backbone of [NYTHA] for more than a decade," said nominator Andy...

Congratulations to Michele Holbrook, one of three finalists in the Administration Award category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. Currently the office manager at Silver Springs Stud, Holbrook grew up showing Appaloosas and Quarter Horses in 4-H Horse and Pony Club in her home state of Indiana. She joined Steve Johnson, owner of Silver Springs, in 1997 during his long tenure at Margaux Farm and has continued working for him ever since through his acquisition of Silver Springs. "I attribute [Holbrook's] behind-the-scenes work as the glue...

Congratulations to Lynnelle Fox Smith, one of three finalists in the Administration Award category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. Currently the executive director of the Oregon Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (OTOBA), Fox Smith began with the organization in 2010 and is now the sole employee. Fox Smith has also represented OTOBA at the state government level and acquired grant funding for safety and education within the racing industry. "The OTOBA's board of directors look upon [Fox Smith] as the glue that holds our organization...

Congratulations to Aaron West, one of three finalists in the Newcomer Award category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. Currently the racing operations manager at Bradley Thoroughbreds LLC, West originally hails from Arkansas, where he was bitten by the Thoroughbred bug at Oaklawn Park. A move to Kentucky followed, as did a graduation from the North American Racing Academy (NARA) after focusing on ground skills and barn management. First a yearling groom at Lane's End Farm, West landed at Bradley Thoroughbreds. He coordinates with owners--making sure...

Congratulations to Alexis Kolasa, one of three finalists in the Newcomer Award category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. Currently an administrative assistant at Denali Stud, Kolasa was the captain of her college equestrian team at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. At Denali, she works on billing, gives tours via Horse Country, posts on social media, and tracks racing and sales graduates. "We kind of call her our Swiss Army Knife; she has lots of different skills and assets rolled into one," said Denali vice president Conrad Bandoroff....