Tag Archives: BHA

Three new members have been appointed to the Horse Welfare Board (HWB) to continue British horseracing’s commitment to the highest standards of animal welfare, safety, and aftercare. The HWB serves as the independent body on equine care and welfare standards reporting to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). The board continues to prioritise the principal objectives of its “A Life Well …

Swedish horse racing group Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp (ATG) has expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s plans to increase gambling taxes.  In a blog post, ATG CEO Hasse Lord Skarplöth criticised the decision to raise tax rates for operators from 18% to 22% of their total gross gambling revenue (GGR) from July onwards, calling it a ‘shock’.  In his words, Skarplöth …

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has summarised the relationship between racing and betting, and the effect of the Gambling Review so far.  Betting has seen a substantial shift from retail to online and mobile devices in the past 15 years. A betting market boom has also been followed by an ongoing period of regulatory pressure, much of which was amidst …

The Petitions Committee has confirmed that Parliament will debate British horseracing’s concerns on affordability and financial risk checks on 26 February. The date was scheduled following a petition led by Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, reaching the requirement of 100,000 signatures needed for parliamentary debate. Endorsed by British racing stakeholders, the petition called on the UK government …

The BHA has made its final call for owners to complete Britain’s inaugural Thoroughbred Census. Now at a landmark 6,000 submissions from an industry wide push to drive participation, thoroughbred owners have until the end of the year (31 December 2023) to complete Britain’s first-ever Census of this kind. Helena Flynn, Programme Director, Horse Welfare Board, stated: “We’ve had a …

Several changes have been made to the start rules in British racing, after being approved by the Board of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).  Following a review of stalls and starting procedures over a 12-month period, one of the first adjustments focuses on Late Load Requests – defined as raceday privilege requests made by a trainer for their horse to …

The Industry People Board’s new report is set to demonstrate views on improving recruitment, skills and retention of staff in the British racing industry. Surveying trainers and stable staff, the report is delivered in partnership with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS), with funding from the Racing Foundation. …

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has published insights into how it will measure the success of its new Fixtures List for UK racing.  Announced last month, the BHA and stakeholders settled on a new fixtures list for 2024, with the aim of showcasing new initiatives designed to grow racing’s appeal with the wider UK public. Headline measures will see the …

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has emphasised the importance of the UK horse racing sector as a global sport, but also acknowledging an urgent need to maximise engagement in the domestic market. The British Racing’s Sports Economy Breeders’ Cup Trade Mission on 1 November began with a welcome reception held in California, which BHA CEO, Julie Harrington, addressed with an …

A public petition has been launched by British racing stakeholders to ‘stop the implementation of betting affordability/financial risk checks‘. The petition, which has currently amassed over 40,000 signatures, was initiated by Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club – the UK’s largest racecourse operator. Led by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), racing stakeholders have openly stated their opposition to …