Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation announces two recipients for 2025 Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm programme

The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation board has announced the two recipients of its Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Experience Scholarship for 2025.  

The board has selected Ciaran Phelan to go to Springhouse Farm in Lexington and Lola Queck to Hunter Valley Farm in Versailles. Phelan grew up on his family farm, Glashare House in County Kilkenny, and has worked at Coolmore and Lodge Park Stud. Graduating from the Irish National Stud, he was awarded the Jonathan Fitzpatrick Business Internship in the nominations office at the stud, where he benefited from exposure to the business side of a commercial stallion farm. 

Ciaran has already amassed plenty of experience, ranging from helping to run his family stud to foaling mares and handling stallions at Coolmore as well as prepping yearlings at Lodge Park Stud and venturing into some pinhooking projects. 

He said: "Ultimately my goal is to breed horses capable of competing at the highest echelons of racing."

Lola Queck: another recipient of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation

Queck is also a graduate of the Irish National Stud programme and has gained experience having left her native Germany and travelled to Australia working for trainer Brett Cavanaugh and Vinery Stud. 

She has also spent time prepping yearlings with Ecurie de Monceaux, as well as working on the advertising and social media side of the business and recognises their importance to sustain the bloodstock industry. Queck would like to start pinhooking and has enjoyed yearling prep, an area which she would like to further develop in her career. 

Queck said about her placement at Hunter Valley and the significance of the horse: "It is essential to truly love what you are doing and always treat them with good intentions. There is always more to learn and it is very important to experience as many different cultures and ways of doing things especially in this industry."

Further information can be found at www.gerrydilgerequine.com.

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