British Horseracing Authority

British racing's Horse Welfare Board-an independently chaired organization comprising the British Horseracing Authority, racing's stakeholders and the Racecourse Association-has released a five-year welfare plan for horses bred for racing. The strategy focuses on the ambition that every horse bred to race should lead a life well lived, and the overarching themes of the plan are traceability, safety and well being, communication and the use of data. The whip is a prominent topic in the strategy, which calls for racing to make changes to the way the whip is used but...

Eight short films discussing some of the common questions regarding equine welfare were released by the British Horseracing Authority on Monday. The films, featuring National Hunt jockey Tom Scudamore and BHA vet Sally Taylor, cover some commonly asked questions about equine welfare like "What happens when a horse falls?" and "What is the life of a racehorse like?" The videos will be displayed on big screens and CCTV across British racecourses, beginning with Carlisle, Lingfield and Kempton Park on Monday. Previews of the eight videos can be viewed below: What...

The British Horseracing Authority has expanded its online system of registering retired racehorses to allow trainers, in addition to owners, to lodge information on where their charges are headed for their second careers. Under the previous system, only owners had been able to register this information. The new system, which debuts on Feb. 13, is designed to improve the traceability of horses permanently retired from racing. A dedicated page on the BHA's website, which will go live in March, will allow participants to check the retirement status of any horse....

Southwell will host an all-female card on International Women's Day, Mar. 8. The eight races, held in conjunction with the sport's Diversity in Racing Steering Group, the British Horseracing Authority, Women in Racing and Great British Racing, will be split evenly between Flat and National Hunt racing. "It's great that Southwell are celebrating International Women's Day with an all-female racecard," said Southwell native and jockey Hayley Turner, who became the second female jockey to ride a Royal Ascot winner last year. We ride against and at the same level as...

Following the UK leaving the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020, an implementation/transition period lasting from Feb. 1, 2020 to at least Dec. 31, 2020 will begin, the Thoroughbred Industries Brexit Steering Group (TIBSG) announced in an update on Monday. Current arrangements relating to the movement of Thoroughbreds and people will operate as they currently do, as the existing Tripartite Agreement remains in place. European Union and European Economic Area nationals are encouraged to apply now for settled status beyond the end of the transition period. The priorities of the...

British Horseracing Authority Chief Executive Officer Nick Rust will step down from his position at the end of 2020 after nearly six years of leading British racing's governing body and regulator. Rust said in a letter to BHA staff on Tuesday, "I've spent much of the past year reflecting on my situation after my personal bereavement at the end of 2018. I wanted to let you and the BHA know my decision and plans well ahead of leaving to allow plenty of time for a successor to be identified and...

The 2020 fixture list was published by the British Horseracing Authority on Tuesday. Policies governing the compilation of the list were announced here last month. There are a number of new measures introduced after agreement was reached by the cross-industry Fixtures and Funding Group including: no race starting later than 9 p.m. at summer evening fixtures no race starting later than 8:30 p.m. the rest of the year extending the Christmas and summer Jump racing breaks to four and 12 days, respectively ensuring that the days's first race starts by...