Spalding honoured with Irish National Stud scholarship
Thoroughbred Breeders Australia Fast Track graduate Molly Spalding has won the 2026 Nolan Scholarship to undertake the six-month Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Breeding Management Course from January 2027.
Spalding graduated from Fast Track in 2025 after a placement at Vinery Stud, where she gained experience across two breeding seasons and attended the Magic Millions National Broodmare and Weanling Sales.
She has since joined Holbrook Thoroughbreds, where she is expanding her stud management skills and undertaking additional foaling management training as she works towards a leadership role in the industry.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the Nolan family and the whole team at Thoroughbred Breeders Australia to be the recipient of the Basil Nolan Jr scholarship for 2027,” Spalding said.
“I look forward to building on skills and deepening my knowledge of the industry through the Thoroughbred Breeding Management Course at the Irish National Stud.
“This scholarship is a legacy of honesty and hard work, I hope to continue that same focus and look forward to bringing back broader knowledge and experiences after my time in Ireland.”
Established in 2020 through a collaboration between TBA, the Nolan family and the Irish National Stud, the scholarship supports the professional development of emerging breeding industry talent, with 2025 recipient Mackenzie Porter having completed her studies in Ireland and returned to Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley.
