'Outstanding horseman with infectious personality' - Simone Meloni crowned employee of the year at Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards

Simone Meloni, who works for Nicky Henderson, has been named employee of the year at the 21st Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards. 

A key member of the Seven Barrows team who was instrumental in nurturing Marie's Rock at home when she won back-to-back festival races at Cheltenham and Punchestown in 2022, Meloni was announced the winner during a ceremony at York racecourse on Monday.

His personality and love for the horse stood out during the judging process of the Godolphin-backed awards, which were hosted by Rishi Persad and attended by two-time champion jockey William Buick and Olympic gold medal-winning eventer Laura Collett.

Meloni, whose equine roots began with showjumping in his native Italy, received £30,000, having also won the rider/racing groom award. Half of that money will be shared with his Seven Barrows colleagues.

Nick Luck, chair of the judging panel said: "Ultimately, we felt that Simone is the perfect embodiment of what the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards represent.

"Throughout his discussions with the judges, Simone could not stop talking about his horses, and we were struck by the tailored approach he brings to dealing with each as an individual, from how he sets their beds to how he rides.

“As well as being an outstanding horseman, his personality is utterly infectious. He wears a beaming smile while working and it was clear to see that his approach to his job makes a big impact, which is not insignificant at a yard where the pressure is always on.”

Group 1-winning sprinter Goldream greets the arrivals to the TIEA awardsCredit: Hannah Ali

Staff from stables and studs were recognised from a range of award categories during an evening organised by the BHA in conjunction with the Racing Post and Racing TV. Tyla Macfarlane, who played a large role in the preparation of the Andrew Balding-trained Group 1-winning filly Kalpana, was the recipient of the newcomer award, while Jane Smith, who started working in the industry in 1966, received the dedication accolade.

All the evening's winners, which also included Tweenhills assistant stud manager Ivo Thomas, who oversees Kameko's care, and Littleton Stud's Kelly Stevens, received a share of the £128,500 prize-money pot. 

Great British Racing's Sally Lyons was recognised for being one of the driving forces in promoting National Racehorse Week when taking the community award.

Brant Dunshea, acting chief executive of the BHA, said: “I would like to congratulate all of the winners this evening and in particular Simone on his magnificent achievement of being named the 2025 employee of the year.

“We often speak about racing being a community and people like Simone are vital to this. Not only is he clearly extremely skilled around horses but his colleagues value him so highly, meaning he is a vital cog in one of the country’s most successful operations.“

Newcomer award
Winner: Tyla Macfarlane (Andrew Balding)
Nominees: Tina St John (William Haggas),  Uwitonze Wenham-Beckford (Karl Burke)

Leadership
Winner: Ivo Thomas (Tweenhills)
Nominees: Mark Ellwood (Nick Alexander), Rachael Lytham (Greenall Guerriero Racing)

Rider/racing groom
Winner: Simone Meloni (Nicky Henderson)
Nominees: Emma Kettlewell (Karl Burke), Sarah Macdonald (Julia Feilden)

Stud staff
Winner: Kelly Stevens (Littleton Stud)
Nominees: Fiona McGlone (Hascombe & Valiant Stud), Kim Skolfield (Newsells Park Stud)

Dedication
Winner: Jane Smith (John Ryan)
Nominees:  Anthony Smith (Karl Burke), Joe Scally (Roger Varian)

Community award
Winner: Sally Lyons (Great British Racing)
Nominees: Anne Richardson (HEROS Charity), Jacqui Greet (Ascot Racecourse)

Read these next:

'You don't need to be a genius - the key to a good career is just having the horses at the heart of what you do' 

Rishi Persad: days on my dad's stud farm in Trinidad were some of the fondest of my life - but time around stable staff brings back that magic  

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