The Lycetts Team Champion, mission is to showcase the positive results of developing a team that works well together, spread the message about safe working practices and improve recruitment and retention rates by promoting the most successful ways in which racehorse trainers manage their staff and thereby encourage wider adoption of those practices.
The Lycetts Team Champion Award, which is run in conjunction with the National Trainers Federation (NTF) has two categories – for trainers with 40 horses or more; and for trainers with fewer than 40 horses. The winning yard in each category will receive £4000 to be spent in a way that benefits and enhances the team.
We are delighted to announce that the winners for 2019 are Jedd O’Keeffe and Tom Dascombe.
Jedd and his team based in Middleham were the recipients of the trophy for the yards with 40 horses or less in training, and Tom Dascombe who is based at Manor House Stables in Cheshire is the winner of the category for trainers with more than 40 horses in training.
The Shortlist for 2019 is as follows:
| 40+ horses |
Fewer than 40 horses |
| Andrew Balding |
Nick Alexander |
| Tom Dascombe |
Dan Kubler |
| Warren Greatrex |
Jedd O’Keeffe |
| Richard Hughes |
Richard Phillips |
Through the scoring of assessment criteria, nominating yards that reach a sufficient number of points earn a star rating: 1 star is awarded to yards with very good team ethos and showing promising signs for the future. 2 stars are awarded to yards that have shown excellent levels of team ethos and staff engagement. 3 stars are awarded to yards that have shown outstanding levels of team ethos and staff engagement. All the shortlisted yards were awarded 3-star status. Competition was extremely strong and the standard of nominations very high resulting in a higher proportion of 3-star nominations than in the inaugural award last year. A full list of star-rated yards is available on the NTF website.
Lycetts have been involved in these awards since their conception and see it as a perfect way of raising awareness of safe working practices that will lead to a significant reduction in the risk of workplace injuries.
Piers Plunket, Divisional Director at Lycetts, said: “Racehorse trainers and their staff make a great contribution to the world of British horseracing and we want to shine a spotlight on all the hard work that is carried out on these yards.
“Our mission is to instil a sense of achievement in the best managed yards, as well as showcase the positive results of developing a team that works well together. In
addition, we see the award as the perfect way of raising awareness of safe working practices to help reduce the risk of workplace injuries.”
Yogi Breisner, Chairman of the judging panel, commented, “It’s been a real pleasure to be involved with Lycetts Team Champion Award again, and it’s great to see the progress from last year and also some very exciting new applications.”
An explanation of the process and the nomination form are available on the NTF website at https://www.racehorsetrainers.org/industry/teamchampion.asp .
For further information about the Lycetts Team Champion Awards please email charlie.douglas@lycetts.co.uk or telephone 01328 857 920.
