IFAR

Last week, the 40th Asian Racing Conference took place in Sapporo, Japan. You may ask what relevance that has for anyone with horses in Continental America or Europe? The answer is many owners and trainers today play on the global stage. As an extremely small owner and breeder, even I have horses in the U.S., Ireland, England, France, and fractional ownership in Australia. And what do we all do first thing every morning? Read the Thoroughbred Daily News, and many listen to the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. In doing so,...

SAPPORO, Japan -- While other racing nations are becoming accustomed to lauding the overseas success of Japanese runners and looking on with awe at the huge financial clout of the country's domestic racing programme, it would be folly to think that Japan's racing scene does not face its own specific issues. Indeed, the host nation for the 40th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) was put under the spotlight in Sapporo on Thursday when leading trainer Yoshito Yahagi and breeder Kenichiro Mishima took to the stage to discuss ways in which Japanese...

The seventh edition of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) will be held alongside the 39th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) in Melbourne, Australia from Feb. 14-19, 2023. IFAR and ARC will be hosted by the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) and Racing Victoria. Besides an aftercare facility visit, IFAR will also host panels with speakers from around the world on such topics as new models for industry cooperation; training for success on and off the track; practical tools to screen for temperament and the importance of transition training;...

The second session of the IFAR Virtual Conference, focusing on shaping the racing industry for the future, was held on Apr. 19. IFAR partnered with the Japan Racing Association (Japanese Consultative Committee on Aftercare of Racehorses) to hold this year's event. Tuesday's session was moderated by Australia-based racing broadcaster Caroline Searcy, and speakers were Michael Drapac, owner and breeder; Dr. Adrian Farrington, executive manager of Veterinary Clinical Services at The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Kirsten Green, executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project; and Jennifer Hughes, general manager of Equine...

The second and final virtual session of the 2022 International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) will be held at 12 a.m. BST on Apr. 19. IFAR partnered with the Japan Racing Association (Japanese Consultative Committee on Aftercare of Racehorses) to host the 2022 event. Rishi Persad moderated the first virtual session on Apr. 5, and next Tuesday's session will be moderated by the Australian-based racing broadcaster Caroline Searcy. "Our first webinar attracted viewers from nearly 20 countries and resulted in engaging discussions with our speakers about global aftercare...

The speakers and agenda were announced for the sixth annual International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) on Thursday. "Many Paths-One Goal" is the conference theme and IFAR will be divided into two virtual webinars on Apr. 5 and 19. Each webinar will begin at 12 p.m. BST (11 a.m. GMT), and lasting for approximately two hours. IFAR is partnering with the Japan Racing Association (Japanese Consultative Committee on Aftercare of Racehorses) to host this year's event. IFAR is free to view, but registration is required. Please click here...

The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses will host its sixth forum as a series of two virtual webinars on Apr. 5 and 19 beginning at 12 p.m. BST. The conference theme is "Many paths - One goal", and topics to be covered are expected to include traceability, transitioning horses off the racetrack and assessing suitability for other careers, the use of Thoroughbreds in unique careers, responsibility in making end-of-life decisions, and the next generation's perspective on aftercare. "After the positive feedback from last year's virtual IFAR, our team...

Registration remains open for the fifth International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR), to be held virtually in a series of live webinars each Tuesday, beginning Apr. 6 through Apr. 27. Each session begins at 12 p.m. GMT (8 a.m. Eastern time) and lasts approximately one hour. "With nearly 300 registrants already, we are excited by the enthusiasm demonstrated by the Thoroughbred industry for what will truly be a global event," said Di Arbuthnot, chair of IFAR. "Between educating on aftercare best practices, offering case studies on aftercare programs...

The 2021 lineup of topics and speakers for the fifth International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) was announced on Wednesday. The series will be held through four virtual sessions on Apr. 6, Apr. 13, Apr. 20 and Apr. 27 with each webinar beginning at 12 p.m. GMT. Registration is required, but each session is free. The 2021 IFAR lineup is as follows: Apr. 6: Aftercare in 2021 Moderator: Nick Luck (U.K.) Panelists: IFAR Chair Di Arbuthnot trainer Jessica Harrington (Ire) eventer Tik Maynard (U.S.) Herringswell Stable's Graham and...

The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) will host its fifth forum as a virtual series on each Tuesday during the month of April. The sessions, which will include a combination of prerecorded content and live discussions, will be held Apr. 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 12 p.m. GMT and will each last approximately one hour. Recordings of the events will also be made available on the IFAR website. Expected topics to be covered during these sessions include owner and trainer responsibility, traceability, the use of racehorses...