Kildare students honoured at National Stud
Tara Carroll, Blue Hen Award, Sam Thompson, Best Portfolio Of Assignments, Josefina Posada Montoya, Goffs Internship, Luke O'Neill, Gold Medal and Equine Business Award, Chloe De Salvador, Silver Medal, Raph McCall, Veterinary Exam, Ava Banahan, Continuous Assessment and Peter Leavy, Jonathan Fitzpatrick Business Internship
THREE Kildare students were among the 24 graduates from the Irish National Stud who won awards last week, with Luke O’Neill from Ballymore Eustace winning the overall Gold Medal.
Ava Banaghan from Rathbride, and Peter Leavy from The Curragh were the other winners from home soil.
The stud played host to a momentous occasion on Friday, as 24 graduates from the 2025 Thoroughbred Breeding Management course marked the completion of the six-month programme with a formal graduation ceremony at the prestigious farm.
Joined by family members, friends, and respected figures from the thoroughbred industry, the students celebrated the completion of a rigorous and comprehensive programme tailored to provide them with the knowledge, skills, and industry connections essential for launching successful careers in the thoroughbred sector.
The event was hosted by Leo Powell and featured an opening address from CEO Cathal Beale.
Cathal extended his congratulations to the graduates, commending their dedication and accomplishments over the duration of the course and spoke of the continued importance of the Irish National Stud’s role in shaping future leaders in the field.
Class representatives Tara O’Carroll (Ireland) and Luke O’Neill (Ireland) delivered the keynote addresses, extending their gratitude to the lecturers, staff, and industry hosts who guided and supported them throughout the journey.
Peter Leavy received the Jonathan Fitzpatrick Business Internship, which will commence in July at the Irish National Stud, while Josefina Posada Montoya (Colombia) was awarded the Goffs Internship.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of the highly regarded Gold and Silver Medals, presented annually to the top two performing students, and these went to Luke O’Neill from Ballymore Eustace (Gold), and Chloe De Salvador (France, Silver).
Anne Channon, Education Manager at the Irish National Stud, praised the graduating class: “Our graduates this year have shown an extraordinary commitment to their studies and the thoroughbred breeding industry. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and excited to see them contribute to the future of the thoroughbred industry.” The 2025 graduation ceremony marked not just the end of an educational journey, but the beginning of many promising careers within the global thoroughbred community.
Class of 2025 Ava Banahan (Ireland), Luke Buchanan (Australia), Tara Carroll (Ireland), Chloe De Salvador (France), Claire Dilger (USA), Patrick Doyle (Ireland), Claire Hillebrand (USA), Jordan Kidd (Ireland), Peter Leavy (Ireland), Caroline Madden (USA), Raph McCall (UK), Sarahjane O’Byrne (Ireland), Luke O’Neill (Ireland), Áine O’Rourke (USA) George Palin (UK).
