'It's an immensely rewarding job, you get to see the full cycle of horses'

In the third part of our series on the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards, Andrew Snell talks about his role as stud manager at Cheveley Park and looks back on winning the Stud Staff Award prize in February

What do you need to be successful working at a professional stud?
You need to be dedicated and prepared to work hard. You'll put in a lot of hours and at night too, it's basically a lifestyle and a huge commitment. We work all hours, especially the stud grooms but it's immensely rewarding you get to see the full cycle of horses. We'll have foals here, then see them on the racecourse in a few years time and then we get them back to have foals of their own.

What's the best thing about your job?
There are so many facets to the job – that cycle being one of them. I suppose it would be the satisfaction of the job. Seeing the success of horses from conceptions and sales to then producing quality racehorses and generations of families. I work a lot with the staff as a stud manager so seeing young people do well is great too, I've had youngsters go on to be stud managers all over the world and trainers too. I enjoy that part of the job.

How long have you been a part of the team at Cheveley Park?
It will be 31 years at Christmas. I was at the National Stud as an assistant stud groom and started when I was 17. Chris Richardson asked if I would like to be their stud groom which I was for about 14 or 15 years. Then we built it up a bit more and I took over the day-to-day running of the stud side of things.

What is the secret to success in one of the world's leading stud farms?
Without any doubt it would be teamwork. That's about helping each other through the rough times and collectively enjoying the good periods. You've got to make everyone feel valued, whether they're cutting the grass or looking after one of the most expensive stallions. Everyone has to feel part of that team and if one part of that team isn't pulling their weight then things don't work so well.

How important was winning the award?
It was great for me and the team too. I stand on the shoulders of great horses and really skilled people so I'm painfully conscious that without them I wouldn't be winning an award. It was nice to be recognised for a lot of years of hard work but not just me but all of our team.

Why are the awards so important?
In an industry which most of the time – particularly the studs – is a lot of hard work without a moment of glory, it's important to recognise those away from the glamour of the racecourse or the sales. I still get people congratulating me, I get letters and emails from people all over the world so people take note of the award. It can only go from strength to strength.

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