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Youth Collaboration Group to Promote Careers in Racing

The Youth Collaboration Group, for young people with an interest in horseracing and marketing, was launched by the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday. Headed by Careers In Racing, the careers marketing arm of the BHA, the Youth Collaboration Group will give young people the chance to contribute their views and ideas about marketing initiatives and content used to promote careers within the industry. The group is open to anyone between 14 and 21 years of age with a keen interest in marketing, graphic design, social media, video content, events and communications. To apply to join the Youth Collaboration Group, please visit www.careersinracing.com.

Zoe Elliott, Head of Careers Marketing and Recruitment at the BHA, said, “It's important for us at Careers In Racing to make sure that whatever we produce–be that a careers video or careers event–is relevant to the audience it is aimed at.

“We want to build a team of young people who really understand what we are trying to achieve, and who can give us some honest feedback, and co-create some of our initiatives. At the same time, we want to support them in developing work-ready skills to enhance their CVs.

“This is a really exciting opportunity, and we can't wait to get started. Youth Collaboration Group is our working title for this initiative so the very first activity they be asked to give feedback on is the creation of a name and logo for their group. We hope that lots of young people get in touch to be involved.”

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Wednesday UK Evening Fixtures Moved Up

Bath and Kempton have both had their Wednesday evening cards moved to earlier in the day to avoid a timing clash with England's Euro 2020 semi-final against Denmark, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Sunday. Bath was due to end at 8:35 p.m. and Kempton's final race was slated for 8:50 p.m. The semi-final match begins at 8 p.m.

“Having received applications from both The Jockey Club and Arena Racing Company, the BHA has approved the alternation of race times at both Kempton Park and Bath on Wednesday evening to avoid a clash with England's Euro 2020 semi-final match against Denmark,” the British Horseracing Authority said in a statement. “We wish Gareth Southgate and the England team the best of luck.”

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BHA Whip Consultation Opens

The British Horseracing Authority on Thursday opened a 10-week open, public consultation on British racing's whip rules and penalities. The consultation, a recommendation of the industry's independently chaired Horse Welfare Board, aims to gather and assess the views of industry participants, stakeholders and wider audiences regarding the rules, use, and penalties for rule breaches.

The first part of the consultation is an online questionnaire that will be available until Sept. 6 and is open to anyone. The second part of the consultation will involve detailed discussions with relevant parties and focus groups.

Upon conclusion of the full consultation process the data, views and suggestions gathered will be considered by the Whip Consultation Steering Group, which includes representation from across the racing industry and wider sectors including politics, horse welfare and the media. Recommendations will be presented to the BHA Board for consideration and approval in early 2022.

The BHA has published three explanatory videos on how the consultation will work: how the process will work, about the whip and how the whip is used. A Q&A document is also available.

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said, “At a time when societal and political views are constantly changing, the future health of our sport will depend in part on the maintenance of social licence and the trust that the public and politicians have in us. The racing industry must be willing to listen to and understand a range of perspectives if it is to prosper and safeguard its long-term future. Moreover, we must have rules and a penalty structure which are viewed as fair to participants and the betting public, which encourage riding within the rules and which deter rule breaches. By carrying out this consultation we are looking to signal and facilitate a positive, open debate about this important issue for our sport from the viewpoint of perception and fairness. We encourage everyone with an interest in the subject to take part in the consultation. This is your opportunity to be heard.”

Brant Dunshea, chief regulatory officer for the BHA, said, “The consultation process will be open and transparent, and the views of all parties are welcome and will be considered. The decisions that result from this process are then racing's to make, guided by the consultation responses and the significant expertise that exists within the Steering Group. We encourage all respondents to make use of the supporting information in the consultation, which explains the current design of the whip, and the rules and penalties relating to its use, to ensure that anyone responding to the consultation is informed by the facts.

“This is a complex issue and not a binary one. The consultation will cover a broad range of ground regarding the use of the whip for encouragement, the rules under which the padded whips are used for this specific purpose, and the penalties for breaches of those rules. We ask everyone involved to take part in this debate constructively and respectfully.”

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Spectator Restrictions to Continue as UK Government Hits Pause on Reopening

After the UK Government announced that they would be taking a four-week pause on the country's progression out of COVID-19 restrictions on Monday, the UK Racing industry acknowledged the reasons for the delay, but expressed disappointment at the news. The COVID-19 roadmap out of lockdown had been due to switch to Stage 4 on June 21, but instead the current restrictions will continue, affecting major racing events like Coral-Eclipse Day at Sandown Park, and the Moet & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket.

Currently, the industry is working with the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) to secure a £21-million loan from the UK Government's winter survival fund, however, seeking additional support from the Sport Survival Package will now be considered. As it stands, most race meetings have a max of 4,000 spectators allowed, with Royal Ascot participating in the Events Research Programme (ERP), which allows 12,000 racegoers for the five-day stand.

Julie Harrington, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), said, “While it is disappointing that plans for the relaxation of restrictions and the further return of spectators have been delayed, we of course understand the principle that Government's decisions should be evidence-based and public health must come first.

“Many of our racegoers will be frustrated by this delay, but we are doing all we can to work with national and local authorities to maximise the number of people allowed to attend race-meetings in safety.”

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