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British Racing Launches New Campaign to Address Welfare Concerns

A new communications campaign, HorsePWR, has been launched by British racing, designed to share and promote the facts around welfare in horseracing.

HorsePWR will have its own dedicated website to provide information about the sport and the thoroughbred, the lives they lead and the high welfare and safety standards within racing. The website also explores the areas that racing has committed to improve, from reducing risk on and off the racecourse to better supporting horses when they leave the sport.

The campaign has been led by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Great British Racing (GBR) and racing's Horse Welfare Board (HWB), with additional funding provided by the Jockey Club.

Kinross-based National Hunt trainer Lucinda Russell said of HorsePWR, “This is just what racing needs. We must provide the facts, help educate and confront the tough questions head on. The facts matter. We understand our responsibility and respect our horses and we want to make sure the public know this too.

“It's good to see us taking a new approach, showing pride in the lives we give our horses and challenging and correcting inaccurate information which is put into the public domain by those who are opposed to the sport.”

Robin Mounsey, BHA head of communications and HWB member, added, “The HorsePWR campaign sees the sport take a new approach when it comes to talking about welfare. It is about being up-front, open and transparent. It is about tackling head-on the elements of the sport that we know are areas of concern and providing information to educate and reassure.

“Those who work in the sport are rightly proud of our record and standards when it comes to welfare. This campaign provides a platform to allow those connected with the sport to share their pride. It will be aimed at racing's current and potential fans, seeking to ensure that future generations of racing followers are not lost to the sport due to negative perceptions around the welfare issues which are tackled by this campaign.”

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National Racehorse Week, In Third Year, Deemed A Success

The third annual National Racehorse Week, from Sept. 9-17 in the UK, has been deemed a success after a record number of open days and community events, Great British Racing (GBR), who funds the initiative alongside the Racing Foundation and Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), announced on Tuesday.

Over 15,000 free places were made available across the seven days across the country for the public to come and experience a day in the life of a racehorse. From training facilities and studs, to aftercare and rehoming centres, 209 different events took place showcasing the care and attention racehorses receive every day. The week provided a platform to create a lasting impact on those who are not familiar with racing or who don't have the opportunity to get close to a horse in everyday life.

In research undertaken after the week had finished, 94% of people said the experience had left them with a better understanding about and a positive impression of welfare. And 92% of attendees who were new to racing said their opinion had been positively changed about the lives racehorses lead.

There were also a total of 60 dedicated community events focused on outreach, a 300% uplift from last year. These events were supported by Racing Together and Racing to School with more than 3,000 people from schools, charities, urban equestrian centres and community groups getting involved with behind-the-scenes access to racing facilities.

The events included:

Paul Nicholls hosted a special visit for Dame Kelly Homes Trust beneficiaries, NHS and Emergency Service workers
Ian Williams hosted members of the RMF Group, an organisation that offer industry focused training courses to ex-offenders, veterans, the homeless, and residents who are long-term unemployed
Jo Foster took racehorse Sigurd to eight community events including schools, care homes and to charities like Mind and dementia groups
Aftercare centres including New Beginnings, HEROS, BTRC, Greatwood and Yorkshire retraining and rehoming centre took their retired racehorse ambassadors out to schools and care homes
Dan Skelton and Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero hosted children with serious illnesses from the Barrie Well's Trust Box4Kids initiative
Godolphin, Ben Case and Dave Loughnane hosted urban equestrian centres including Summerfield Stables from Birmingham, Park Lane Stables from London, and Park Palace Ponies from Liverpool.

Rod Street, CEO Great British Racing, said, “National Racehorse Week creates a unique opportunity for the British Racing industry to unite and showcase to the public the high levels of care that our equine stars receive throughout their entire lives. It also allows racing to open its doors and welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the joy of getting close to a racehorse.

“There are so many highlights from the week, but the ones that stand out for me include the significant increase in young people attending open days this year, especially those aged between 10-14 years, and the impact we had on visitors. Our research shows that 94% of people who came to an open day now have a positive impression of equine welfare, and 92% of those who were new to racing or not regular racegoers said their opinion had been positively changed by the experience. This shows the power of what racing can achieve when it comes together.

“We must thank everyone involved in this special week for showing off the very best of British racing and hopefully helping to inspire a new generation of racing fans.”

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British Racing Bodies Commit to Improving Diversity and Inclusion

Organisations across British racing have united to improve diversity and inclusion across the sport under a unified “Industry Commitment”. The Industry Commitment, which is part of British racing's COVID-19 Recovery Plan for British racing', aims to formalise the sport's approach to diversity and inclusion and builds on the extensive existing activity already taking place, including community engagement, education activity and charitable work. This is highlighted through the Racing Together platform which has already showcased over 80 initiatives.

Organisations that have signed on to the Industry Commitment are: the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Racecourse Association (RCA), Racehorse Owners Association (ROA), Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA), National Trainers Federation (NTF), Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), National Association of Racing Staff (NARS) and Great British Racing (GBR). There are five areas that underpin the Industry Commitment and each organisations will former their individual Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans:

Leadership and Accountability–industry leaders ensuring and taking accountability for the creation of a more diverse and inclusive sport
Good Governance–ensuring a better understanding of the racing landscape to influence policy, practice and procedures
Education and Awareness Raising–giving everyone across racing access to learning about diversity and inclusion and why they're important to the sport
Celebrating Racing's Diversity–showcasing the diversity that exists across the racing industry in order to create an inclusive sport where difference is embraced, and everyone is valued
Engaging New Audiences–promoting racing as a sport for all and encouraging diverse communities to take part

Annamarie Phelps, Chair of British Horseracing Authority, said: “This is an important step forward for the sport. We have so much to celebrate in British racing, including men and women being able to compete on a level playing field. Equally, it is the responsibility of all of us in the sport to ensure we can showcase British racing as a modern sport which is truly diverse, inclusive and open to all. Being proactive about improving diversity is essential to the long-term viability of the sport, but first and foremost it is absolutely the right thing to do.”

For more information on the Industry Commitment, please visit www.media.britishhorseracing.com.

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2021 Furlong Factor Open For Entries

Racing Welfare in conjunction with Great British Racing (GBR), the Tote and Sky Sports Racing, have launched the 2021 edition of the pop idol competition, Furlong Factor. Introduced last season, the competition is free to enter and first prize is £1,500 in cash and a trophy from Inkerman London. All funds raised from the Furlong Factor will go toward Racing Welfare's Lost Events Appeal. Entries close Apr. 21. To enter, contestants are asked to record themselves singing into their phone and email their videos to communications@racingwelfare.co.uk or send in by WhatsApp to 07970 631170.

Selected entries will go through to a round of heats which will run from Apr. 26-30. A winner will be selected from each heat, as voted for by the public, and will go through to the May 4 final, during which fans will have the opportunity to back their favourite contestant through the Tote before voting on Twitter to find the grand winner of the Furlong Factor. The winner will be announced live on Sky Sports Racing.

Full details on contest entry are available at: http://racingwelfare.co.uk/furlong-factor/.

“The financial impact of the pandemic continues to hit us hard and I would encourage anyone who enjoys this year's Furlong Factor to consider donating to our Lost Events Appeal,” said Racing Welfare Chief Executive Dawn Goodfellow. “Every donation, no matter how big or small, enables us to help those who need us the most at this time.”

For more information on Lost Events Appeal or to donate, visit https://justgiving.com/campaign/RWlostevents.

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