York Racecourse is celebrating after being the big winner of the night at prestigious national awards.
It was crowned the Showcase Champion Racecourse at the 13th annual RCA Showcase Awards run by the Racecourse Association.
At the gala ceremony held at Edinburgh’s Signet Library, York became just the third racecourse to hold the accolade of being a multiple Champion alongside Ascot and Aintree.
Centred around the new Bustardthorpe Development, the independent judging panel for the showcase awards were wowed by the excellence and innovation on show at York throughout the 2024 season.
The Knavesmire team also won both the Racing Connection and Racing Foundation Green Awards en route to being named Champion.
York’s initiative called Under Jockeys’ Orders won it the Racing Connection Award.
Under Jockeys’ Orders demonstrated the jockeys’ skill and dedication as elite athletes as well as the personalities behind the saddle, and took place at the 2024 Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
It was a collaboration with Great British Racing and the Professional Jockeys Association and was hailed as a significant step forward to help connect the racegoing public with jockeys.
The Racing Foundation Green Award was presented to York as a result of the environmental credentials of the Bustardthorpe development.
York’s win opens a fast-track route to apply for up to £20k funding from the Racing Foundation to help with further environmental sustainability projects.
The Knavesmire course had already been named Flat Racecourse of the Year in the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards, demonstrating a racecourse team operating at the highest level across all areas, delivering a season of fantastic experiences to thousands of racegoers and participants alike.
York Racecourse was also a finalist in the Food & Beverage category.
William Derby, chief executive and clerk of the course at York Racecourse, said: “I am hugely proud to be part of the team at York Racecourse and to be named Champion Racecourse for a second time. It is an honour and privilege to receive this honour amongst friends and colleagues in British racing.
“The RCA Showcase is a wonderful initiative which York has supported since its inception. It is vital that we continue to promote the positive work done across British racecourses and I was thrilled to see the other fine work of racecourses celebrated tonight.”
Ripon Racecourse claimed the Raceday Award for the Gold Medal Family Day, a superb event which utilised a new fixture slot to capture the summer of sport and delight racegoers of all ages without interrupting the already-popular series of family days planned.