Olivia Blane honoured at Industry Excellence Awards

We’re proud to share that our very own Olivia Blane was named the winner of the Stud, Stable & Kennel Excellence category at the Industry Excellence Awards, powered by Entain. As Waikato Stud’s Yearling Manager, Olivia leads our yearling preparation team and oversees the preparation of nearly 100 yearlings for public auction each season.

Olivia is a valued and integral part of the Waikato Stud team, and we were thrilled to celebrate her success together at the awards ceremony held on Sunday, 29 June.

The Industry Excellence Awards recognise emerging leaders under 40 across all three racing codes in New Zealand. There are nine award categories in total, with one supreme winner. Category winners receive $10,000, finalists receive $2,000, and the supreme winner receives an additional $5,000 and a $5,000 educational package.

On behalf of WS, congratulations to all the finalists and winners of the 2025 Industry Excellence Awards:

Administration and Innovation Excellence: Emma Thompson (NZTR)
Care & Welfare Excellence: Lisa Kennedy (Event Stars Ltd)
Newcomer Excellence: Alice Jeffries (Cambridge Stud)
Stud, Stable & Kennel Excellence: Olivia Blane (Waikato Stud)
Dedication to Breeding Excellence: Brad Molander (Wentwood Grange)
EquineLicence Holder Excellence: Sam Bergerson (Te Akau Racing)
Greyhound Excellence: Katie Wyllie (Fahey/Wyllie training partnership)
Leadership Excellence: Nathan Purdon (Purdon Racing, harness racing)
National Racing Woman of the Year: Caitlin O’Sullivan Doyle (thoroughbred & harness racing)
ENTAIN EXCELLENCE (supreme): Sam Bergerson