BHA promotes CRO Brant Dunshea to Interim CEO

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) will announce the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the new year.

Providing an update on its leadership succession plans, the BHA stated that it had “ensured that, as planned, the newly appointed BHA Chair, Lord Allen of Kensington, plays a role in the recruitment process.”

This summer, Julie Harrington announced her decision to end her four-year tenure as CEO of the BHA on 31 December.

The BHA has confirmed that Chief Regulatory Officer (CRO) Brant Dunshea will take on the role of Interim CEO while the board finalises the recruitment process.

The appointment of Lord Allen was announced in November, as the BHA elected a new Chairman to succeed Joe Saumarez Smith, who resigned from the board to undergo cancer treatment.

The former Chairman of the Invictus Games and the Management Board of the Labour Party, Lord Allen, will begin his tenure in June 2025.

The forthcoming appointment of a CEO is critical for the BHA, as the new leader will oversee negotiations for UK Racing on the design and compensation of the Horseracing Levy.

Of concern, UK Racing has cited statistics from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), highlighting a £3bn deficit in online betting turnover, primarily attributed to the impact of affordability checks on customers.

UK Racing has called on ministers to intervene on affordability checks that fail to account for the specific needs of racing consumers.

Terms of the new Horseracing Levy will be negotiated between the BHA and the UK gambling trade body, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) acting as an intermediary.