THE 13th Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field Breeder of the Year dinner took place on Monday night. As ever, it was a night of celebration, with 12 monthly winners being presented with their salvers, and the announcement of the National Hunt and flat breeders of the year. It was a night when everyone was a winner.

Since the inception of the awards in May 2005, there have been 156 monthly winners, and it is testament to the esteem in which the awards are held that only two monthly winners in that time have been a no-show for the annual dinner. I am delighted to say that we had a full house this year again.

A look at some of the horses who earned awards for their breeders in that first year shows how hard they are to win. Yeats, Scorpion and Speciosa were three of the flat winners in that 12-month period, while National Hunt winners in the same period included Feathard Lady, War Of Attrition and Newmill.

In the first decade there was a single overall award given, but no National Hunt breeder managed to win it. Horses such as Yeats, Teofilo, New Approach, Sea The Stars and Excelebration always managed to hold the jumping fraternity at bay. For the past three years we have given awards in both categories and how well received that change has been.

The main award winners this year are both special stories and it was clear for all to see on Monday night what the awards meant to the recipients. There is full coverage elsewhere of the night, but the reaction of Paul and Marie McCartan to the announcement of their hugely deserved flat award was so rewarding for us and Red Mills as co-sponsors.

As great as that was, it was matched for emotion by Paul Rothwell’s winning of the National Hunt accolade. Since I began working in the industry more than 40 years ago the Rothwell family’s Lacken Stud was one of the grass root farms in Wexford. How gratifying to see the stud produce not one but two Grade 1 winning hurdlers in a single season, and both by their resident stallion Sandmason.

Covering mainly family owned mares, the Rothwells never lost faith in their own horse, though at times they may have questioned the wisdom of doing so. Black Op and Summerville Boy made no money for Paul Rothwell, but their subsequent success is a richly deserved reward for a lifetime of endeavour and patience.