Dundalk Stadium wins Racecourse of the Year

Dundalk Stadium have won Racecourse of the Year Award at this year’s Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Awards at Leopardstown Racecourse.

The stadium, which celebrated it’s 10th anniversary last week, was elected by the Racegoers Consultative Forum based upon the best all-round customer experience.

The award was accepted by the Dundalk Stadium Chairman Leo McCauley and Manager Jim Martin.

The stadium at Dundalk is Ireland’s first all-weather horseracing track and was officially opened on August 26, 2007.

The state-of-the-art facility consists of a greyhound track, restaurants, bars, a kennelling block and stabling for 130 horses.

Plans were also announced for a Floodlit National Hunt Track on their Facebook page yesterday (Monday).

“We are in the early stages of planning and development but hopefully in time it will be another first for Dundalk Stadium,” a spokesperson for the stadium commented.

Dundalk Stadium also won the Special Category Award for Best Catering, again decided by the Racegoers Consultative Forum, which is comprised of dedicated volunteers who attend race-meetings and write reports of their raceday experience.

Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland commented: “Irish racing gives us so much to be proud of and the HRI Awards allow us to commend and celebrate the best of our industry.

“The management and staff at Dundalk Stadium are very deserving of the Racecourse of the Year Award and I have no doubt that they will continue to from strength to strength.”

The stadium was presented with a newly-designed bronze trophy, created by sculptor Siobhan Bulfin.