International Conference of Horseracing Authorities

The presentations and video replay from the 58th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, which took place at Saint-Cloud Racecourse on Monday, October 7, can now be found here on the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) website. The 2024 conference focused on upholding racing integrity, a key strategic point of the IFHA, and the overall programme examined items of key integrity threats and lessons from previous cases to determine how racing can utilise the most current approaches and techniques to protect the sport. Over 150 delegates from 40 different countries...

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was re-elected as chair of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) by the IFHA Executive Council during the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities in Paris, France. Jim Gagliano, Masayuki Goto and Horacio Esposito were also re-elected as vice-chairs, with Henri Pouret a new vice-chair. He fills a vacancy created when Brian Kavanagh stepped down. Engelbrecht-Bresges, who has served as chair of the IFHA since 2021, said, "I look forward to continue working with my valued colleagues and members of the IFHA to further enhance our sport at...

The PowerPoint presentations and video replay from the 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, held earlier this month at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in France, can now be found at the IFHA website. Additionally, the replay of the International Conference for the Health, Safety and Welfare of Jockeys (ICHSWJ) is also available on the IFHA website. The Conference was chaired by Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and focused on safeguarding equine welfare and exploring shifts in societal expectations, as well as the racing industry's response around the...

The 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, focused this year on safeguarding equine welfare and exploring shifts in societal expectations and the sport's response around the world, took place on Oct. 2 at Saint-Cloud racetrack in Paris. Organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the day-long conference emphasized horse racing in a changing society, safeguarding equine welfare and explore shifts in societal expectations and the racing industry's response around the world. "Today we continued what has been a chief mission throughout the life of the Federation: equine welfare,"...

The International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), will return as an in-person event in Paris, France on Oct. 3. Held virtually for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference's topics to be covered include the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) in the United States, broadening horse racing's appeal globally, addressing climate change through sport, and lessons learned from the pandemic. "As the first in-person conference in three years, this event convenes at a critical junction of our...

The International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was held virtually in 2021 for the second consecutive year owing to challenges presented by the global pandemic, and speakers during the 55th edition of the conference-organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities--examined racing's global evolution and future challenges. The conference in its entirety can be accessed via the video link above or as a podcast. Allen Hershkowitz, environmental science advisor to the New York Yankees and founding director and chairman of Sports and Sustainability International, spoke about the threats presented by climate...

The 2021 International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), will be held virtually for the second year in a row on Oct. 4. This year's focus will be on global racing's evolution and future challenges, with the conference digitally released on Oct. 7. New IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges will give the keynote speech, as well as several panel discussions. Some of the topics to be covered in this year's conference include: digitalisation and media; equine welfare; and climate change and sustainability. Rishi Persad...

The Japan Racing Association (JRA) is the new official partner of the 55th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities. The conference, which is normally held in October, is organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). The JRA will promote Japanese racing on the www.ifhaonline.org and social media channels, while the partnership is also expected to further development of international horse racing and international cooperation. "We are pleased to have the JRA become our partner for the Federation's signature conference," said IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet. "Our conference, which traditionally is...

Racing has been fortunate to forge ahead in 2020 without crowds, but it is imperative that they return as soon as possible. That was one of the overriding themes of the third panel of the virtual International Conference of Horseracing Authorities released on Monday and entitled "Participating and working in racing during a global pandemic." Moderator Rishi Persad spoke with trainers Charlie Appleby, Chris Waller and Ger Lyons as well as jockeys Hollie Doyle and Zac Purton about the experience of being a racing professional in 2020. "When the country...

The emergence of unexpected creative opportunities and the near universal cooperation and enthusiasm of racing's participants to produce a quality product were among the common themes discussed by racing media personalities in the UK, France, U.S., Australia and Japan during the second panel of the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities. Entitled 'Adapting the Broadcast, Production, and Media Experience to a COVID-19 Racing and Sporting Landscape,' the panel is part of a series of videos produced by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities in a virtual format of its conference annually...

The virtual International Conference of Horseracing Authorities continued on Tuesday with the delivery of the keynote address by Pete Giorgio and Alan Switzer from Deloitte. Giorgio leads Deloitte's U.S. sports practice and has co-authored a pair of reports concerning sports in the pandemic: Games without fans: how sports organizations can thrive now, and in the long term; and COVID-19 Outlooks for the Sports Industry. Switzer is a director in the company's sports business group and has worked extensively in horse racing for over 15 years. Giorgio and Switzer discussed via...

The 54th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities began on Monday in a virtual format, with a series of videos to be released over the first two weeks of October. The conference organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities is traditionally held in Paris, France on the day after the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a virtual format this year. The first panel was entitled 'Sustaining the Business of Racing and Sports in the Midst of a Global Pandemic and Economic Uncertainty.' Hosted by media...