Kentucky Equine Research Connections at Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria Awards Night

The Victorian Thoroughbred breeding industry continues to go from strength to strength. This year’s awards night marked a celebration of these strengths by both horses and humans during the past season, including rising stars and industry stalwarts.

The Kentucky Equine Research and Barastoc Leading Victorian Small Breeders Award was won by Peter Raftopoulos. He bred Beauty Eternal, one of Hong Kong’s leading horses, among many other successful racehorses. Raftopoulos keeps his horses at Rosemont Stud.

The Rising Star Award is presented to an individual who is part of the Victorian breeding industry’s future. This year the award went to Burnewang Farm’s Emma Todd. Emma began work at Burnewang in March of 2011 and is now managing the farm.Her expertise spans various areas, including equine herpes, caterpillars and equine abortion, infectious diseases, strangles, photosensitivity, and natural remedies for tricky reproductive problems in mares.

Kentucky Equine Research has been working with Burnewang Farm since 2007. “Emma and husband Aaron have embraced technology like Gro-Trac to optimise the growth of their young horses and focus strongly on improving the fertility of mares under her care. We worked on a syndrome of photosensitization from aphids on lucerne pasture, and investigated and documented that,” said Peter Huntington, director of nutrition at Kentucky Equine Research.

Mike Becker received the Service to the Industry Award in recognition of his dedication and service to the Victorian breeding industry. His Victorian tenure began in 1992, founding The Independent Stallion Station, which was a revolutionary style of set up for stallions, and he was one of the first people to have shuttle stallions in Victoria. Mike was one of Kentucky Equine Research’s first clients back in 1993.

“Mike’s an industry legend who has given time to farms as well as the industry groups, once being the TBV president. He has shown resilience and good stallions over the years,” Huntington said.

Other Kentucky Equine Research connections were honored during the awards ceremony.

• Godolphin’s Victorian-bred Zapateo, who is out of multiple stakes-producing broodmare Jerezana, was a model of consistency across the racing season. Winning four stakes races and recording two Group 1 placings, she has solidified herself as a future broodmare with the Godolphin team, taking home the Champion Victorian Bred Racehorse.
• Godolphin also won theVictorian Owners Breeders Incentive Scheme Owner of the Year and the VOBIS Nominator of the year
• Long-term client Rosemont showcased why it is not only one of Victoria’s premier Thoroughbred breeders, winning the Champion Victorian Breeder award, but one of Australia’s best by producing multiple Group performed horses, including Fashion Legend (Champion Victorian Bred Three Year Old) and exciting two-year-old Legacies and Group 1 place-getters Pounding and North Star Lass.

James O’Brien, Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria president, summed up the evening perfectly, “Tonight is all about celebrating the incredible success of the Victorian breeding industry. I congratulate all the winners for their outstanding achievements. I can’t help but feel excited about what lies ahead in Victoria’s breeding future and the upcoming season.”