Richardson and Thormans take top honours at the 2023 TBA Flat Breeders' Awards
British bloodstock industry stalwarts Chris Richardson and Paul and Sara Thorman received the highly prestigious awards of the evening at the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Flat Breeders’ Awards for the 2023 season, held at Chippenham Park on Wednesday evening, 10 July 2024.
With recipients revealed only at the event, Cheveley Park Stud managing director, Chris Richardson received the Dominion Bronze award, which recognises outstanding contribution and long-term commitment from someone in the industry, and Paul and Sara Thorman, who have run Trickledown Stud since 1990, receiving the Andrew Devonshire Bronze award, which acknowledges an outstanding achievement and contribution to the British Thoroughbred breeding industry.
Richardson started out in the bloodstock industry in his teens, after his brother Tim asked him to join him in France. Chris later alternated between France and the US before, in December 1986, he was offered a job at the emerging Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket. Almost 38 years later, he remains there, dividing responsibilities between racing and breeding and having guided the stud to become one of Britain’s most successful mare and stallion operations, with an unexpected foray into top-class National Hunt racing thrown in for good measure.
The husband-and-wife team of Paul and Sara Thorman have been among Britain’s leading sales consignors for over 30 years and are credited with being among the few who have handled 2,000 Guineas winners in consecutive years – George Washington and Cockney Rebel. Selling both as yearlings but having pinhooked the latter.
However, they exceeded even that achievement a little over a year later, when they pinhooked the Spectrum mare Halland Park Lass for 12,000gns and reselling her a year later for 710,000gns after the emergence of her first foal Dutch Art, who stood at and is living out retirement at Cheveley Park.
In a record year of nominations received, the remaining personality award, the TBA Stud Employee Award, went to Carla Bowers, who works for David and Caroline Brocklehurst at their Charlock Stud at Abthorpe, near Towcester.
The judging panel named Bowers as this year’s winner in acknowledgement of being a great motivator of others, a team player and described as a character who is larger than life itself. Described by her employers as always very willing to share her extensive expertise and provide foaling experience for veterinary interns and newly qualified vets - she is always alert to the most minor detail, noticing the smallest change in behaviour of a horse thus preventing more serious problems developing.
Bowers was presented with the New England Stud sponsored Stud Employee of the Year Bronze and a £2,000 cheque. The remaining five finalists; Chris Constantine, Shadwell Stud, Jason Parkin, Culworth Grounds, Kelly Coole, Trinity Park Stud, Rebecca Platt, Little Lodge Farm and Laura Wright, Hazelwood Bloodstock - each received £250 in acknowledgement of their achievements.
WHITSBURY MANOR STUD COLLECT THREE INDIVIDUAL AWARDS ON THE NIGHT
Individual awards for 2023 were dominated by Whitsbury Manor Stud who collected three trophies. Voted by an industry panel, the British European Breeders’ Fund’s Stallion Special Merit Award went to Havana Grey; Chaldean’s success in the 2,000 Guineas enabled Whitsbury Manor to take the Silver Rose Bowl as Breeder of the Year, and his dam Suelita was named Broodmare of the Year for the HJ Joel Silver Salver, sponsored by Barton Stud.
Juddmonte’s star names Frankel and Kingman were up in lights. Frankel regained the BBA Silver Cigar Box for leading British-based sire by earnings in 2023, and Kingman, who was represented by more than 100 winners, was awarded the Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup for the leading British-based sire by Flat winners.
The other awards based on statistics, which had already been announced, were the Queen’s Silver Cup for leading British-based breeder, which went to Shadwell for the third time but the first since 2005 and the Tattersalls Silver Salver for Britain’s leading first-season sire, which was awarded to Darley's Too Darn Hot, whose first-crop juvenile winners included Fallen Angel in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Fallen Angel’s success led to Steve Parkin’s Yorkshire stud Branton Court being awarded the Special Merit Award, the TBA Silver Salver.
Wales got in on the act, and Havana Grey made his mark again, when the Langham Cup, presented to the Small Breeder of the Year, went to Kelly Thomas, who runs what she describes as “a small private stud located just north of Carmarthen”. Maywood bred Vandeek, who won both the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes in 2023.
The Filly of Merit Award, given to the British-bred filly who had significant success in the year, went to Annisette, who won four of her six races in 2023 after being transferred from Newmarket to the US, including the Del Mar Oaks and the American Oaks, both Grade 1s. She was bred by the Morera Partnership.
Claire Sheppard, Chief Executive of the TBA said: “The TBA Flat Breeders’ Awards Evening is about celebrating the achievements of British bred successes and it was another great evening and especially pleasing to see so many stud farms bringing members of their teams to share the celebrations this year.
“Our thanks to our sponsors and partners this evening – Dullingham Park, Newsells Park Stud, Chasemore Farm, New England Stud, Tattersalls, British EBF and Barton Stud – for their generous support of this event.”
2023 TBA Flat Breeders Award Winners
ANDREW DEVONSHIRE AWARD - PAUL AND SARA THORMAN
DOMINION AWARD - CHRIS RICHARDSON
TBA Stud Employee Award - CARLA BOWERS, Charlock Stud
TBA Silver Rose Bowl - Flat Breeder of the Year
WHITSBURY MANOR STUD
TBA Silver Salver - Flat Special Merit Award
BRANTON COURT STUD
Langham Cup - Small Breeder of the Year
MAYWOOD STUD
Filly of Merit Award - Breeder of a British-bred filly who had significant racecourse success in 2023
ANNISETTE (Morera Partnership)
HJ Joel Silver Salver - Flat Broodmare of the Year.
SUELITA (Whitsbury Manor)
2023 Statistical Award winners (previously announced)
BBA Silver Cigar Box – Leading British-based sire by earnings in 2023
FRANKEL
Queen’s Silver Cup – Leading British-based Flat breeder
SHADWELL
Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup – Leading British-based sire by Flat winners in 2023
KINGMAN
British EBF Stallion Special Merit Award
HAVANA GREY
Tattersalls Silver Salver – Britain’s leading first-season sire in 2023
TOO DARN HOT