Students at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Enniskillen campus recently received awards for performance during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic years.

Performance awards are traditionally presented at end of year graduation events, however with the format of graduation events changing due to Covid-19, this group of students was invited to a celebration event at the beginning of December.

Paul McHenry, head of knowledge advisory service at CAFRE, presented the awards and delivered a short message of congratulations to the students.

Paul shared his personal education journey from Further Education into Higher Education and emphasised the superb careers that are available to those that are prepared to work hard and grasp opportunities.

Seamus McAlinney, head of equine education at the Enniskillen campus, echoed Paul’s words and encouraged the group of prize winners to keep working to the high standard they have achieved.

Prize winners

Further Education prize winners included Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma student Boe Lynch, Irvinestown, receiving the Response Cup for the best performance in her first year practical assessment.

CAFRE Enniskillen Campus Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma student Boe Lynch, Irvinestown, receiving the Response Cup for the best performance in her first year practical assessment, pictured with Shelley Stuart (further education programme manager)

Jessie Riche, Coleraine, was awarded the prize for top first year student, and Casey Burns, Rathfriland, and Hannah Jennison, Lisburn, shared the Hart Prize, an award for the best performance in the first year unit Biological Systems of Horses.

The Hart Prize is awarded by the Hart Family in memory of the late Sir Anthony and his late Father Basil, who was a Veterinary Lecturer at the College.

CAFRE Enniskillen Campus BSc Equine Management student Evlin Berkley, Carrick-on-Shannon, received the Vaughan Trust Award, awarded to the top first year student 2021

Higher Education prize winners included FdSc Equine Management students Lisa McFarland, Omagh and Lana Chapman, Westport, who received awards for Top Student in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

CAFRE Enniskillen Campus BSc Equine Management student Ronan Arthur, Athlone received The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (Northern Region) Cup for achieving highest marks for practical course work in the Breeding and Horse Production module

BSc Equine Management students Caroline Simpson, Lisburn; Thalia O’Hare, Belfast; and Evlin Berkley, Carrick-on-Shannon, were also awarded Top Student over the course of the two academic years.

CAFRE Enniskillen Campus BSc Equine Management student Caroline Simpson, Lisburn received the Vaughan Trust Award, awarded to the top first year student 2020

BSc student Ronan Arthur, Athlone, received The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (Northern Region) Cup for achieving highest marks for practical course work in the Breeding and Horse Production module.