THE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR 2025 IN UK IS ITALIAN

His name is Simone Meloni with a past in the equestrian world and now employed by British trainer Nicky Henderson. He is the winner of the 21st Employee of the Year at Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, the horse racing employee of the year sponsored by the giant Godolphin. Simone has an undeniable passion for working with horses. In making the decision to crown him Employee of the Year, the judges were impressed not only by his extraordinary attention to detail in caring for each horse as an individual, but also by the impact of his positive personality on everyone who works at Seven Barrows.

Brant Dunshea, acting chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said: ‘I would like to congratulate all the winners tonight and in particular Simone on his magnificent achievement of being named Employee of the Year 2025.

‘We often talk about racing being a community and people like Simone are essential to that. Not only is he clearly extremely skilled with horses, but his colleagues hold him in high esteem, which means he is an essential cog in one of the most successful operations in the country.

‘We are very fortunate to be able to count Simone among our own in Britain and I am absolutely delighted that he has been recognised in this way.’

According to the official website of the British Horseracing Authority ( BHA ) Nick Luck, Chairman of the Jury, said: ‘Deciding this year's Employee of the Year was the hardest decision I have ever made in this role. The judges thought long and hard and Simone should be very proud to have come first in such an incredibly strong year.

‘In the end, we felt Simone was the perfect embodiment of what the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards represent. During her discussions with the judges, Simone couldn't stop talking about her horses and we were impressed by the personalised approach she takes to treating each one as an individual, from how she prepares their beds to how she rides.

Besides being an exceptional horseman, his personality is absolutely infectious. He flashes a radiant smile as he works and it has been great to see how his approach to his work makes a big impact, which is not insignificant in an industry where the pressure is always on.’

As a result of winning the Employee of the Year award, Simone took home a cash prize of £10,000, plus a further £10,000 which will be split between her colleagues at Seven Barrows.

Earlier in the ceremony, Simone also won the Rider/Racing Groom Award, which included a £5,000 prize, plus a further £5,000 for his colleagues, made possible thanks to Godolphin's generous sponsorship of the event.

Here are the nominations with the awardees for each individual category in bold type. Next to the nominee is the coach he or she is employed by.

Newcomer Award
Tina St. John - William Haggas
Tyla Macfarlane - Andrew Balding
Uwitonze Wenham-Beckford - Karl Burke

Leadership Award
Ivo Thomas - Tweenhills
Mark Ellwood - Nick Alexander
Rachael Lytham - Greenall Warrior Racing

Rider / Racing Groom Award
Emma Kettlewell - Karl Burke
Sarah Macdonald - Julia Feilden
Simone Meloni - Nicky Henderson

Stud Award
Fiona McGlone - Hascombe & Valiant Stud
Kelly Stevens - Littleton Stud
Kim Skolfield - Newsells Park Stud

Dedication Award
Anthony Smith - Karl Burke
Jane Smith - John Ryan
Joe Scally - Roger Varian

Community Award
Anne Richardson - HEROS Charity
Jacqui Greet - Ascot Racecourse
Sally Lyons - Great British Racing