Lycetts Leadership & Lycetts Team Champions Awards 2022

Along with the National Trainers Federation (NTF) we are delighted to announce all the winners for the 2022 Lycetts Leadership & Lycetts Team Champions Awards.

The awards celebrate the British racehorse training yards with the highest standards of employee management and who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills, creating outstanding places to work.

Lycetts Leadership & Lycetts Team Champions Award Winners

Lycetts Leadership Award: Nick Alexander
Lycetts Team Champions Award: Susan Corbett

Once again, the entry standard was extremely high, presenting the judges with a very difficult task in their selections. The runners-up and winners in each category were all inspiring in their approaches to leadership, staff management and team culture.

Sheila Bailey, Lycetts Awards Judging Panel, ‘Joining the judging panel for the Lycetts Awards has been an incredibly stimulating and humbling process.  Reading all the submissions and watching the team videos – which was a delight – reminds us that aside from the daily business of training horses, people in racing face many challenges both personally and professionally. 

The leadership demonstrated by trainers in addressing these issues is what allows the industry to grow, to thrive and attract a new and diverse workforce.’

A formal prize giving for all winners will take place on Breeders Day at Sandown Park Racecourse on Wednesday 14 September. Winners and guests will enjoy hospitality, generously supported by Cavalor and a presentation of prizes. Nick Alexander and Team Corbett will each win £4,000.

Excellence Award Winners
Sponsored by Cavalor, the Excellence Awards form the basis for the Lycetts Leadership Award and recognise the key
staff management areas where trainers are excelling.

Inclusive Recruitment & Effective Induction Systems Winner: Nick Alexander

Ensuring a Safe Working Environment Winners: Dan & Claire Kubler

Development & Training Joint winners: Andrew Balding and Dan & Claire Kubler

Reward & Recognition Winner: Andrew Balding
Cavalor are awarding a prize of £500 to the winner of each section, plus an additional £250 voucher that can be spent at a local retailer to purchase Cavalor products.

All entries were also assessed for accreditation in each section. Yards demonstrating good and excellent management qualities were awarded Standard and Gold accreditation. A full list of accredited yards is available on the NTF website here.

In recognition
Each year, the judges highlight a few areas of special recognition for excelling in specific areas of management, leadership and team ethos. This year the judges would like the following trainers to be recognised in:
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Rebecca Menzies   Pastoral Care: Jedd & Andrea O’Keeffe.

Highest-scoring, newly licensed trainer
Supported by Equitare, this is a new award to recognise newly licensed trainers who are already exhibiting exceptional leadership and management qualities.

We are pleased to announce that James Horton is this year’s winner. James will receive a 12-month recruitment package with Equitare.

Lycetts Leadership & Lycetts Team Champions Awards – Runners up
The standard of entry was extremely high and the NTF would like to acknowledge the runners-up in each category.

Lycetts Leadership Award: Runners up
Andrew Balding
Dan & Claire Kubler

Lycetts Team Champions Award: Runners up
Charlie Longsdon
O’Brien McPherson Racing
Rebecca Menzies

Paul Johnson, Chief Executive, NTF commented, “Completing our fifth year of the awards is a landmark moment, and I was delighted to see the standard of entry submitted this year. It is inspiring to see the breadth of entries too. We have returning trainers achieving gold accreditation year on year, and trainers using the awards each year to learn and adapt their management practices to progress from standard to gold accreditation. In addition, we always have many newcomers to the award, which is great to see.

By entering these awards, trainers let us in on the myriad of ways that great team ethos is developed and sustained, how staff are encouraged and developed and how to lead by example. We have some incredible employers in this industry, inspiring leaders, brilliant managers and exciting newcomers.  We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate them all.  

Thank you to our members and their staff that took part this year. Congratulations to all our runners-up and winners.”

Piers Plunket, Lycetts, commented, “Lycetts are delighted to be supporting the Lycetts Leadership and Lycetts Team Champions Awards once again. It is wonderful to see so many trainers and teams recognising the importance of these Awards to drive forward their business and to showcase the brilliant work, high standards and team culture at their yards.”

For more information on the Lycetts Leadership & Lycetts Team Champions Awards please go to https://www.racehorsetrainers.org/industry/teamchampion.asp For more information on the National Trainers Federation, please go to www.racehorsetrainers.org.