SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The BHA has highlighted the stewarding process, which occurs at every race meet to ensure that what unfolds on the track does so within the Rules of Racing.
After the racing takes place, each meeting is overseen by BHA Chief Steward, Stewards’ Panel Chair, BHA Steward and the BHA Assistant Stewards whose job is to discuss and reach a conclusion when faced with decisions around the sport’s Rules.
The BHA emphasised that its Stewards, which includes former professional jockeys and assistant trainers, have a “comprehensive knowledge” and “care deeply” about the sport, the safety of the humans and horses taking part in it and the integrity of what those of us up and down the country are watching and enjoying every day.
The organisation added: “As in other sports, the decisions that the Stewards make are often subjective and not necessarily straightforward. This is inevitable when highly skilled athletes are operating in fast-paced and competitive environments.
“Racing is also like other sports in that it has passionate and knowledgeable participants and fans, among whom debate often takes place on all manner of topics, not least whether decisions made by those officiating the action were correct.”
It reiterated that there is ‘nothing inherently wrong’ with this, adding that healthy, respectful debate about whatever has just transpired enhances the enjoyment of a sporting spectacle and is a perfectly normal part of any sporting occasion.
When a decision is appealed against, the sport’s independent Disciplinary Panel convenes a hearing, at which it will hear submissions from the BHA and the participant(s) involved, as well as review footage as required. This footage is the same as was available to the Stewards on the day of the original decision.
Each year in Britain, around 1,500 fixtures with approximately 10,000 races occur, and Stewards make decisions of varying importance in nearly every one, highlighting the frequent use of the appeals process by participants.
The BHA noted: “It may surprise critics of the appeals process to learn that in 2023, from all the decisions relating to a total of 10,019 races comprising 87,614 runners, just 32 were appealed against and subsequently heard by the sport’s independent Disciplinary Panel (three further appeals were withdrawn prior to that stage).”
This equates to an appeals to races ratio of 0.32%. Of those that went to a hearing before the Panel, 14 were either upheld fully, or the penalty imposed was varied, and 18 were dismissed.
Finally, the BHA stated that the number of appeals lodged represents a ‘tiny fraction’ of the overall number of decisions the BHA’s Stewarding Team takes on an annual basis, strongly suggesting that more often than not, their decisions are accepted by participants.
“There is no complacency within the BHA’s regulatory functions and we are always looking to continually improve what we do and how we do it. Our Stewards must all complete competency based training and receive ongoing assessment, feedback and practical training to ensure that standards remain consistently high.
“However, BHA Stewards – as with all our raceday officials – are required to make definitive and consistent calls on decisions that are often highly subjective. This is their job, but the high standards they demonstrate on a regular basis should not be underestimated.”
