UK Rules of Racing Changes Confirmed By BHA

Several changes to the British Rules of Racing were confirmed by the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday. These changes, which will come into effect in the coming months, were approved by the BHA Board, following engagement with and feedback from participants and stakeholders. The changes are as follows:

• All horses entered to run in a race in Britain must be signed out of the human food chain via its passport by Jan. 1, 2022.
• The UK's equine influenza vaccination requirements were updated to bring them in line with other European racing nations.
• The rules regarding bisphosphonates were updated to bring them in line with other European racing nations.

For more information on these changes to the Rules of Racing, please click here.

James Given, Director of Equine Health and Welfare for the BHA, said, “The sport's Veterinary Committee made the decision to exclude racehorses who run in Britain from the food chain in January of this year. It was subsequently put out to consultation with the racing industry prior to being approved by the Rules Committee and finally by the BHA Board in September.

“British racing has in place a euthanasia code of practice to aid trainers and owners with end-of-life decisions. The guidance is clear that whenever possible, euthanasia should be performed at home or in suitable surroundings.

“The transporting of horses to an abattoir to be sold for consumption should not, in my view, be classed as euthanasia and is not an approach that we should tolerate in our sport, which is why a rule preventing this practice is a positive step. I am confident that most British trainers and owners agree with me on this and already observe this principle.”