Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the foundation commenced its activities just three years ago in memory of County Clare native Gerry Dilger whose Dromoland Farm specialized in successful sales pinhooks and an elite breeding operation with great partners that produced consecutive Kentucky Derby winners Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and Always Dreaming (Bodemeister). However, Gerry was equally renowned as a nurturer of young people who found their way to Dromoland and gained so much life and work experience. The foundation was established by the Dilger family and friends to continue his teaching for the next generation and in a short period of time has awarded eighteen scholarships and three bursaries to students from around the world. Our partner schools in Ireland include University College Dublin, University of Limerick, CAFRE, KIldalton College and the Irish National Stud.

We were delighted to recently announce that Luis Ettedgui and Grace Hamilton were awarded scholarships to the Irish National Stud. Luis, a Venezuelan native, and a graduate from the University of Kentucky's Equine Science and Management program has experience working at Stonerside, Juddmonte, with Brad Cox and is currently working in Australia with Godolphin. Grace, originally from South Carolina is a University of Kentucky senior majoring in Equine Science and Management and minoring in Business. She has worked in many areas of the business including Coldwater Farm, Blandford Stud, Godolphin at Jonabell Farm and Marette Farrell, agent.

The board was very encouraged this year with the quality of applications for its various programs and will be announcing soon other award winners including the recipients of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Experience Scholarship. In a change of format for this particular scholarship, the awardees will be placed for one year with Springhouse Farm in Lexington and Hunter Valley Farm in Versailles.

The board also extends its thanks to all participants and organizers of the second foundation golf tournament which takes place Tuesday, Oct. 10 at Houston Oaks in Paris. Our first year was such a success that we will once again have a full turnout of twenty-nine teams of four. Further details of the charity's work and programs can be found here.

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The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation was set up two years ago by family and close friends in memory of Gerry Dilger. Gerry was a very successful breeder and pinhooker of many top horses, including consecutive GI Kentucky Derby winners Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and Always Dreaming (Bodemeister). More than his equine triumphs, Gerry was a mentor to so many young people through his Dromoland Farm, where he nurtured and assisted them as they commenced their careers in the bloodstock business. In recognition of this, the Foundation was established to grant scholarships to deserving young people with some great help from the Irish National Stud, Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI), Springhouse Farm, Lane's End Farm, University of Limerick, University College Dublin, and the University of Kentucky.

Several scholarships have been awarded to assist in tuition, flights, and visas. Two recipients, Gemma Blumenshine and Roisin Whelan, enjoyed scholarships at the Irish National Stud in 2022 and penned blogs (shown below) detailing their experiences at the famous Kildare nursery.

“My family and I are very proud of the accomplishments of all the scholarship recipients, including Gemma and Roisin,” said Erin Dilger, Gerry's wife. “We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for all the donations and support we have received from so many individuals and farms worldwide. There will be several new scholarships awarded for 2023 and we are also pleased to announce that the inaugural Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation Golf Tournament and Auction will be held at Houston Oaks [near Paris, Ky.] on Oct. 10.”

Roisin Whelan's Blog

As the end of June approaches, it is time to reflect on the last six months and my experience of the Irish National Stud Course. I was filled with excitement and delight when it was announced that I had been accepted onto this prestigious course and was honored to have been awarded a scholarship from the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation.

The hands-on aspect of the course comprehensively covered the day-to-day workings of a stud farm, from foaling, to mares and foals, to stallions, we did it all!

One of the highlights of this had to be getting up close and personal with Invincible Spirit (Ire) (Green Desert), who at 25-years-old, still displays the energy and athleticism befitting a stallion of his reputation. I also greatly enjoyed my time spent on night-foaling duty, during which I assisted in bringing 14 foals into the world; surely there must be a champion or two amongst them!

We were provided with lots of educational and interesting lectures, most noteworthy were those of Cathal Beale, CEO of the stud, whose progressive views on the subject of equine business were refreshing and engaging to all the students. With all our assignments handed in and exams complete, it is difficult not to feel bittersweet about the whole experience. We won't miss the homework, but we will miss the people.

In January, all 30 of us were thrown into the deep end when introduced to fellow students with whom we would work, study, eat, sleep, and live with for the duration of the course. The fun we had and the memories made will last us all a lifetime. I am fortunate to have been part of such a fantastic, varied bunch of young people, within which I have made friends for life and can't wait to watch as we all grow and forge careers for ourselves within the industry.

I was extremely lucky to have had Gemma Blumenshine, fellow Dilger Scholarship recipient, as a roommate, as her infectious personality brought me great entertainment over our time together.

Once again, I would like to say a massive thank you to the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation and to the Dilger family for supporting me on this journey. I am massively excited to continue my career and the next step is Springhouse Farm in Kentucky to get a taste of life in America. Onwards and Upwards! '

Gemma Blumenshine's Blog

In the fall of 2021, I was lucky enough to be the recipient of the Gerry Dilger Equine Foundation Scholarship in partnership with KEMI. The scholarship was to send one KEMI intern to participate in the Irish National Stud breeding management program for six months in Kildare, Ireland. It is an honor to be chosen to attend this prestigious program which is now also certified by IT Carlow so the interns also gain university accreditation. In the last six months, I have traveled, visited other farms, seen multiple race tracks, attended daily classes, and worked alongside my 29 fellow interns. The work we have done on the farm has varied throughout the breeding season. I have been able to work with the stallions in the breeding shed, help mares give birth to their new foals on night shifts, and care for growing foals. I have absolutely expanded my skill set and learned so much more about the Thoroughbred industry. The best part for me has been learning about the industry on the European side and learning different ways to do things and especially learning from my peers and their individual experiences.

My view and experience of this industry have been very broadened through the six months on this course and I am so glad I got this opportunity. Throughout this season we foaled 319 mares which is the highest number the Irish National Stud has foaled to date and we learned so much through caring for that high volume. As the season comes to a close, we are going on more field trips to other farms and racing yards as well as taking our final exams and submitting final projects. Our exams span over the many topics we have covered in classes these last few months and are the marker of our time here coming to an end. It has been so rewarding to care for the pregnant mares and help them give birth to watching their foals grow up and become independent. You build such connections with each of the horses as you rotate through each of the yards on the farm and get to work with every single horse. I would not have gotten to participate in any of this if it were not for the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation and I am forever grateful for one of the best experiences of my life.

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The foundation board has announced that its final scholarship for the upcoming 2022 breeding season is being awarded to University of Limerick student and Cashel, County Tipperary, native Luke Kevin.

This particular scholarship affords Kevin the opportunity to travel from Ireland to work and learn at the renowned Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky.

Kevin is a third-year student in the Equine Science program t the University of Limerick and impressed the board with his ambition and the objectives he has already formulated at such a young age for his future intentions and development in the horse industry.

The scholarship recipient has gained experience in Ireland with Ballysheehan, Martinstown and Ballinalard Studs and is looking forward to embracing the Kentucky experience as he expands his worldwide knowledge of the horse business.

“I would like to give a huge thanks to the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation for giving me this great opportunity to work and learn in the U.S.,” Kevin said.

Erin Dilger commented, “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Lane's End Farm for their generosity in accommodating Luke for the 2022 season. We feel that he is a very deserving young person who will enjoy his Kentucky experience.”

Gerry Dilger, a native of County Clare, Ireland, who operated Dromoland Farm near Ireland, died March 4, 2020, at the age of 61. A horseman who both pinhooked a Kentucky Derby winner (Nyquist) and bred one (Always Dreaming), Dilger also served as a mentor to numerous young men and women interested in establishing a career in the horse business.

For further information and details please visit www.gerrydilgerequine.com

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“I'm delighted to have the opportunity to join this outstanding team,” said Fogarty in a statement. “The current roster of Darley stallions, both here and at Dalham Hall, is very exciting and I am looking forward to meeting breeders at the forthcoming sales.”

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Even so, the Dooleys decided it was the right time to step out on their own, and Norevale Farm was born.

“In the beginning, you're questioning yourself and you're thinking, 'Was this the right idea? Are we going to get enough horses? Are we going to get enough support?'” Leo said, recalling those moments of doubt. “But as we moved into the new year, it was evident that we had lots of support.”

So much, in fact, that they've already outgrown their original 110-acre property along Hume Bedford Pike near Paris and are now one month into leasing out an additional farm down the street.

“Leasing the farm across the road was definitely not expected,” Sarah admitted. “I remember when I was first setting up payroll and the payroll company asked how many employees we were going to have. I said two. They asked, 'Ever any more?' and I said, 'No, no way. We're never going to have more than two employees.' And now we have seven.”

Despite the explosion in growth, the couple still believes they're at a size where they can fulfill their initial vision of a boutique, hands-on atmosphere.

“What I love is the fact that we're not too big,” Leo said. “I can physically touch every horse, every day. We're on top of everything and with being so hands on, we know the horses inside and out and hopefully down the line that starts to show.”

“I think we both have a really great attention to detail,” Sarah added. “We talk to each other every day about everything, so our record keeping is precise and we have good control over everything that goes into the system.”

Growing up on her family's Marula Park Stud located just a few miles from what is now Norevale, Sarah learned the ins and outs of running a successful commercial operation from trailing her parents, Tony and Susan Holmes, around the fall breeding stock sales each year. After graduating from nearby Transylvania University, she traveled around the racing globe to complete the Irish National Stud and Godolphin Flying Start programs. Returning to the States, Sarah worked at Bluewater Sales, Hunter Valley Farm and Lane's End.

While serving as the sales coordinator at Hunter Valley, she met Leo Dooley.

Leo was not from a racing family, but growing up in Kilkenny, Ireland, he caught the bug early and worked for top trainer Jim Bolger as a teenager. He attended University College Dublin while also squeezing in time working at Ballylinch Stud and finding other racing-related jobs across Europe.

“I would take time off college to go and work the sales at Tattersalls and Goffs,” he admitted. “The professors weren't very happy about that, but I learned more there than I might have in the classroom.”

Before graduation, Leo made the journey overseas for a four-month internship with Gerry Dilger. The short time there was so impactful that after obtaining his degree, he came back to the States to work as the broodmare manager at Hunter Valley where he “met his lovely wife.” After four years there, he moved on to a similar position at Indian Creek Farm.

Before the duo ever became a couple, they both knew individually that their end goal would be to someday run their own operation.

“As a couple, that kind of became more realistic and was simmering in the back of our minds for a while down the road,” Sarah said. “Leo is great in terms of the hands-on aspect and I have experience in sales and the admin side of things. I think we both knew that we would work well together and so that gave us confidence to jump when this piece of land came up.”

Initially, the timing seemed a bit premature in their minds, but they took the leap anyways. Now just a few months in, their fast start is a strong indication that they made the right decision.

“We could not have done any of this without the support we've gotten from family, friends and clients,” Sarah said. “The support we've gotten has been huge.  It's hard sometimes, but it's a labor of love. We've been so incredibly busy, but every day we look at each other and we're like, 'Alright, we're doing this. We survived another day.' One hundred percent, we both know we're doing the right thing.”

To add one last variable into the equation, a three-month-old daughter keeps them on their toes, just in case they might have had a moment of spare time otherwise.

“Maeve was born in December right before foaling season,” Sarah said. “She's a huge delight. Leo is going to have a pitchfork in her hands before she can walk.”

“There was a while there where we thought we would have to use her on the farm,” Leo added.

When asked if they ever had any hesitations in taking on a business where they would be working together twenty-four seven, Leo replied, “We did think about that when we started, but it has actually worked out pretty well because I'm spending hours every day on the farm. I'm lucky if I get home for lunch.”

“I think we knew we would work well together from our time at Hunter Valley,” Sarah added. “We complement each other well, we stay out of each other's way and we respect what the other person does.”

“It gives me a lot of confidence, having been in the States for six or seven years now and having worked for three different farms, that I was able to pull bits and pieces from every operation,” Leo continued. “From Dromoland to Hunter Valley to Indian Creek, I was able to pick what I thought would fit best, from reproductive specialists to podiatrists, so it's nice to get all those bits of the puzzle together and hopefully have them all contribute to our ongoing success.”

Kentucky Derby winners Always Dreaming and Nyquist both called Dilger's Dromoland Farm home as youngsters. | Fasig-Tipton

Few were more integral in molding Leo's career than Gerry Dilger. The late breeder and Dromoland Farm owner passed on in March of last year, but he still played a roll in the Dooley's decision to start up Norevale.

“I only worked for Gerry for probably four months, but they were a very impactful four months and probably changed the course of my career,” Leo explained. “I never made a single career decision without consulting Gerry. I do remember, probably three or four years ago, he said something that stuck with me. He said, 'Yeah, you know in five years, hopefully you'll be doing your own thing.' I was very surprised because I didn't think I would do my own thing for another 10, 15 or 20 years. So ultimately when we made the decision on Norevale, which was of course after Gerry's passing, I went back to that [conversation] and because I couldn't ask him, it was nice to know he had backed me all those years ago. It made the decision a lot easier.”

Soon after Norevale opened for business, a second Dilger pupil joined the team. Erin Rogers, also a native of Ireland, had worked with Leo at Ballylinch Stud years ago before traveling abroad to work for Dilger.

“Erin has been a fantastic addition to the team,” Leo said. “It's been great to sort of carry on Gerry's legacy a bit here in a way, since we both worked for him.”

Both Erin and Leo spoke on the powerful influence Dilger had on their careers.

“For me, it was really the confidence he gave me,” Erin said. “He threw me in the deep end and told me to go for it. His knowledge and demeanor made him a good mentor. Everybody just loved him for being him. I never heard anybody say one thing bad about him and it didn't matter who you were, if you were a big owner or someone just starting out, he treated everyone the exact same, which said a lot about his character.”

“He had a huge impact on my life for sure, and on countless others across the globe,” Leo echoed. “He wanted the best for everybody. I'll bet he spent so much of his time thinking about all of his pupils and what they were doing. He just genuinely cared about what was best for people.”

Last fall, an unplaced Bodemeister mare named Bodella was offered in the final days of the Keeneland November Sale as the last of Dilger's mares to go through a sales ring. When she failed to meet her reserve, her consignor Pat Costello called up the Dooleys to see if they might be interested.

“She didn't cost much and she was in foal to Mo Town, so we said sure, mostly for sentimental reasons,” Sarah recalled. “Leo brought her back to the farm and on his way back, he called Erin and told her we had a surprise for her in the back of the trailer.”

Bodella (Bodemeister) and her 2021 Mo Town filly | photo courtesy Sarah Dooley

When Erin found the mare waiting to unload, she recognized her instantly from her years spent at Dromoland. The Dooleys offered Erin a partial ownership in Bodella and Erin jumped at the chance.

“It's cool for us to all own a mare together and Erin just loves her,” Sarah said. “She absolutely adores all the horses, but Bodella is the favorite for sure.”

Bodella foaled her Mo Town filly in February this year and has since been bred back to Volatile.

“There was a rainbow one day and Bodella and a couple of mares were in a back field here, and the rainbow ended on top of Bodella,” Sarah recalled. “We were all like, 'Yeah, that's Gerry.' So hopefully he's looking out for us and we'll have a bit of luck with her.”

While both Leo and Sarah acknowledge that luck may have helped all the pieces fall into place when Norevale first got started, they now attribute the farm's ongoing success solely to the support they've received from their clients.

“We're very thankful for all the support we've gotten,” Leo said. “We've got some great clients here and we're excited to grow with them as we continue to develop the program we have here at Norevale.”

“We're always telling each other that there's no resting on laurels,” Sarah said. “We know we've got to keep putting in the groundwork, but we couldn't imagine doing anything else, even on the hard days. I've asked Leo a few times on really busy days, “So, are you glad we're doing this?' And he's like, 'Oh yes, one hundred percent.' And I feel the same way. So we know we're doing the right thing and we couldn't be happier.”

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Bred in Kentucky by the St. Elias Stables of Vincent and Teresa Viola, Known Agenda was produced by one of the first broodmares acquired by St. Elias more than seven years ago. Her son Known Agenda is the first Grade 1 winner bred by the operation, although it has raced several others, including 2019 champion older horse Vino Rosso (Curlin), 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), 2015 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song), and 2018 Carter Handicap winner Army Mule (Friesan Fire).

John Sparkman, bloodstock and matings adviser to St. Elias, recalled the mare's acquisition.

“Very early in building a high-class broodmare band, this mare came our way,” Sparkman said, “and the way to start a top broodmare band is with mares of high racing class.”

Byrama, the dam of Known Fact, won the G1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park and was second in the G1 Madison at Keeneland for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in 2013, then was auctioned at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, where she was an RNA for $725,000.

St. Elias made a deal to purchase the mare post sale, and the new owners raced her the next year before retiring the English-bred daughter of Byron to stud in 2015. Known Agenda is the mare's third foal.

In selecting Byrama for racing class, Sparkman said, “Her head, neck, and shoulder reminded me very strongly of Sir Ivor, who is in the third dam, and when something like that comes through, I pay attention. She had speed, class, and is a very elegant mare,” and she clearly makes an excellent match with some of the large, hardy stallions in the Kentucky stallion pool.

The foal by Curlin was so nice that St. Elias sent him to the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, but retained him as a $135,000 RNA.

Sparkman recalled “when we were going over the inspection statistics with consignor Gerry Dilger, we were pretty surprised that Known Agenda was at the bottom of the list. When we asked about that, Gerry said, 'Nobody even wants to look at him because he's out of a turf mare.'

“Looks pretty good on dirt, to me,” Sparkman concluded.

Indeed, the chestnut colt has progressed notably from his good juvenile form, where he won a maiden and was a respectable third in the G2 Remsen Stakes. This year, he won an allowance at Gulfstream, then was unplaced in the Sam F. Davis. In assessing the difference between the prior race and the Florida Derby, Sparkman gave praise to the work done by trainer Todd Pletcher in getting the colt to focus more effectively in his racing, and it showed at Gulfstream.

“Todd said that Known Agenda reminded him a lot of Vino Rosso,” also campaigned by St. Elias, “in lacking mental maturity,” Sparkman said. But the physical attributes of the colt have always been there, and he is a progressive colt who will profit from added time and distance.

The Kentucky Derby is expected to be the next start for Known Agenda.

If all goes well, the Derby would be the seventh start for Known Agenda; for his sire, Curlin, the Derby was his fourth career start, and Curlin went into the Derby unbeaten after an extraordinary maiden success, then victories in the G3 Rebel and G2 Arkansas Derby. Curlin finished third in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness from Derby winner Street Sense, and was a head second in the Belmont Stakes to the lovely filly Rags to Riches. Late-season successes in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic brought divisional honors and the Horse of the Year award to Curlin.

A repeat as Horse of the Year in 2008 sent Curlin to stud with excellent racing credentials, although he wasn't universally popular as a physical specimen, being a big, robustly made animal of generous proportions. From his first crop, however, Curlin showed he could sire individuals of greater quality allied with his scope and classic ability. St. Elias brought him a first-rate match with Byrama, as a racemare of high ability, allied with quality and refinement.

“Breeding to a horse like Curlin is obvious for a quality mare who matches on pedigree,” Sparkman said, “and he also has a cross of Sir Ivor in the fourth generation that seemed like a positive repetition.”

Although sometimes considered only as a turf horse because of his first-class record in Europe, Sir Ivor was a top 2-year-old who progressed to become a top classic colt, winning the 1968 2,000 Guineas and Derby, then finishing a gallant second to Vaguely Noble in the Arc de Triomphe. In his final start, Sir Ivor returned to the States and won the Washington DC International before retiring to stud at Claiborne Farm.

Considered simplistically, Sir Ivor was a “turf horse” because he showed exceptional form on the surface. “But all horses can run on turf,” Sparkman said. “All horses can run on dirt. Some have a preference one way or another, but it's almost always pretty slight.”

Considering the horse on racing character, physique, and athleticism, Sir Ivor was much more than a turf horse. He'd have been among the favorites for the 1968 Kentucky Derby, had he been on this side of the Atlantic, and he might well have won the race too.

Bred in Kentucky at Mill Ridge Farm by Alice Chandler and sold to Vincent O'Brien on behalf of owner Winston Guest at the Keeneland July sale, Sir Ivor proved a serious international sire after his classic-winning race career. The good-sized plain bay sired some quick juveniles, some classic competitors, and high-quality performers on turf and dirt. His early crops included Arc de Triomphe winner Ivanjica, and among his later foals came Eclipse champion older horse Bates Motel.

There weren't any “turf” performers of great acclaim among the immediate ancestors of Sir Ivor, but O'Brien saw an athlete. Quick, strong, and competitive, Sir Ivor proved the judgment of his mentor to be eminently correct.

 With a known agenda for the classics, Sir Ivor's descendant is taking steps of his own for classic recognition.

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