Friday evening (26th November) saw the Northern racing community come together at the Vertem Northern Racing Awards held at Newcastle racecourse.
The glittering black-tie event celebrated many standout performances from the last 12 months but it was, without doubt, Harriet Bethell who stole the show as she took home the Magic Moment award. Having suffered a catastrophic brain injury due to a fall on the gallops at her East Yorkshire yard, Harriet has endured months of therapy which has included having to learn to walk again. The culmination of a gruelling regime saw her walk round Pontefract racecourse earlier this year and in the process raise nearly £60,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund. Harriet rightly received a standing ovation on the night in recognition of her extraordinary efforts.
Paddy Trainor was the proud winner of the Our People Award on the night, and somewhat lost for words. The award is a racing industry recognition award and there was no one more deserving than Paddy who has dedicated his working life to the sport. He is also a great supporter of Racing Welfare and it was wonderful to see his achievements recognised.