STAFF from the racing yard of Eoin McCarthy in Athea have won an award in the Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Thoroughbred Welfare Council Best-Turned-Out League 2023, the results of which have just been unveiled.
The best-turned out league recognises and acknowledges the high standards of care and attention racehorses receive from their grooms and work riders who consistently go above and beyond for the horses in their care. The categories are based on the number of runners each yard had during their season. Each yard wins €3,000 to be divided among staff.
Sponsored by HRI, the Irish Thoroughbred Welfare Council best-turned-out league runs over each calendar year and sees racecourses record their best-turned-out winners at each of their fixtures. The best-turned-out winners are aggregated and the yards are categorised by their number of runners.
Across 2023, McCarthy’s yard won a remarkable 66 best-turned-out competitions from 193 runners to win a category.
Other winning yards were those of Jim Bolger (Carlow/Kilkenny), Henry de Bromhead (Waterford), Gordon Elliott (Meath), Eoin Griffin (Kilkenny) and Noel Meade (Meath).
John Osborne, Equine Welfare & Bloodstock Director at HRI, said: “The best-turned out league demonstrates the high standard of care throughout the industry. It is great to see 174 Flat yards and 176 National Hunt yards win prizes at a racecourse in 2023. The best-turned out league rewards the winners but highlights the efforts of everyone involved in looking after our horses. Their dedication deserves our thanks.”
