Racecourse Association launches 2025 Racecourse Groundstaff Awards
- 28th annual Racecourse Groundstaff Awards now open for submissions.
- Racecourse Groundstaff Awards celebrate the best of racecourse groundstaff in surface preparation, turf husbandry and contribution to British horseracing
- Proudly sponsored by Agrovista, DLF Seeds and Science and Duralock
The Racecourse Association (RCA) is pleased to confirm that the 28th annual Racecourse Groundstaff Awards is now open for submissions.
The Racecourse Groundstaff Awards, the original and only recognised industry awards for racecourse groundstaff, celebrate the best of the profession both on an individual and team level in terms of surface preparation, turf husbandry and overall contribution to British horseracing.
The core Racecourse Groundstaff Awards celebrate the winners and runners-up across the three racecourse types: flat, jump and dual purpose. The winners of each category will go onto the RCA’s Showcase Awards on Thursday 13th November at York Racecourse, where an overall Groundstaff Champion will be crowned. Previous winners of the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards can be viewed here.
As well as celebrating groundstaff teams, the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards include individual prizes to acknowledge individuals operating at exceptional levels:
- The Richard Linley Award recognises an individual who has joined the industry in the past two years and has considerably improved their skills, shown determination and has a passion for learning. The award is about celebrating new groundstaff into the industry across Great Britain who have shown huge growth and improvement in their work.
- The Neil Wyatt Lifetime Achievement Award is a longstanding award for individuals who have given exceptional service over many years to a racecourse or the racing industry.
- The Special Merit Award allows the judges to recognise outstanding work by any individual or team.
All racecourses are automatically considered for the core awards, however submissions are encouraged to highlight the exceptional work of the grounds teams. This process is now open, and will close on Thursday 4th September, in line with the wider RCA Showcase Awards.
Holly Cook, Racecourse Services Manager at the RCA, said: “I am delighted to launch this year’s Racecourse Groundstaff Awards. Since inception, these awards are amongst the most enjoyable element of our work in supporting racecourses as they allow us to highlight and reward the exceptional work of the racecourse grounds teams—a critical part of any successful racecourse.
“The RCA is proud to be the custodian of the sport’s only recognised awards for groundstaff and we look forward to crowning the class of 2025 in November.”
Dan Hughes, Head of Commercial, Agrovista Amenity, said: “Agrovista Amenity are delighted to continue our long-term commitment to recognising the dedication and skill of racecourse groundstaff throughout Great Britain by supporting the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards. The expertise and efforts applied by racing grounds personnel makes racing happen, sometimes in the most trying conditions and circumstances. We are proud to champion awareness of the professionalism and skill of their role, to the racing industry and wider audiences.”
Matt Gresty, DLF/MM, Sales and Marketing Manager, said: “DLF is thrilled to sponsor the RCA’s Racecourse Groundstaff Awards for 2025. These prestigious awards not only celebrate but also highlight the exceptional dedication and expertise of racing groundstaff teams who work tirelessly every day to create and maintain the high-quality racing surfaces vital to the racing industry.”
Jonathon McGovern, CEO, Duralock, said: “Duralock are delighted to continue our support of the RCA’s Racecourse Groundstaff awards.
“Across Great Britain, groundstaff work tirelessly to maintain and improve racing surfaces and without them racing would simply not be possible.”